OUR BABIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 108, 10 January 1940, Page 7

OUR BABIES

]Jy Hy^eia.

I Published under the auspices of I lie Royal Xew Zealand Society lor the Health of Women and Children (Piunket Society) "It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a piecipice than lo maintain an ambulance at the bottom.'' SUNLIGHT Following our quotation last week from l)r Saleeby's writing on sunlight. parents may be interested to look a little further into the practical points in connection with sunbaths for chlidren. Now is the time to begin whilst the sun has not yet reached its l'ull summer heat. On the first warm, clear day start exposing Ihe babies (and other children, too) to gradually increasing doses or direct sunshine. Skin Sensitiveness. It is difficult to give definite directions as to the extent of surface to expose or the best time allowance. These will vary not only with the age and general health and strength of the particular child, bill also with the sensitiveness of his skin to the direct action of the sun's rays. Taking two normal healthy babies who (up to, say. three months of age) have been reared side by side on precisely the same lines, it might be found that in the •ourse of a month the one would benefit by duly praduated exposure )f the limbs and part of the bodj T i]) to live or ten minutes twice a lay, while in the case of the other )aby undue reddening and irritation vould have indicated that only a lalf or even a quarter of this rate >f progress could be tolerated. The afest and best procedure in this, as II other matters affecting the baby, s to go cautiously and to err on he side of advancing too slowly alher than risk going too quickly. When a normal baby is about a reek old he may be taken out into Ije sunshine for a short time if the weather is mild and genial. His yes ean be siiaded from the glare >y turning him on his side in his of and shading his head without tutting any covering over his face, 'he leather hood of an ordinary lerambulator affords a very unhealhy shelter for the baby, yet many nfants live in a leather-lined pertmbulator during the greater part »f the first year. When the temperature of the day s not under about (iOdeg. Falir. a icalthy baby who has been proper Jy earcd .should have become aeci'.somed towards the end of the sec>nd month to having his arms and egs and part of the adjacent skin urface of his body bare to the sun, ay, for five to ten minutes before he 10 a.m. feeding also. The mother hould hold the baby on her knee if >ossible, so that while he- is being unrayed she can give him stimulaion and passive exercise by stroking lis legs and arms gently but firmly, tarting at the hands and feet and vorking systematically towards the runk. thus promoting increased acivity of the circulation. ,\s the >aby grows older his legs and arms nay be bared to the sunshine for, ay, 10 minutes or a quarter of an lour lie fore his 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. eedings. Even longer exposure may mrre beneficial on specially l'a\otrrible days. If the weather is warm a healthy >aby Ln his second month may have lis morning bath on the open veranlah, where the sunshine can play >n his body. Later, when he can •rawl and run about exposure of lie whole bouy in the open sunlight for from 10 to 15 minutes may be dlowable. Beach Play. If baby lives by the seaside, the nolher may safely lot hini run ibout on the beach for a time on a warm summer's day with little, if my, covering for his body, provided, >f course, that lie has been reared sensibly and not coddled. Babies labilualed to daily exposure of the ■'•kip, to open air and sunshine tie not •atch cold easily and do not feel .'liange;- of wealhcr. Thev become practically "weaiher-proof' and almost disease-proof. Such children Lire a joy to themselves and lo everyone connected with Ihem: they rad;!iaie iiappine-'s as the -on radiates light, heat and health. Their circulation will be good, and their hands and feet will glow with warmth even on cold days. Of course, if a baby lias not beer: habituated to exposure vo sunshine, tiie mother must proceed very cautiously, accustoming him gradually, little by little, to fuller exposure of the skin surface.