HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 54, 6 March 1945, Page 6

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

CRYING IN BABIES

(By the Department o£ Health.) Before a baby can talk, his only way of demanding food company or attention is by crying. This is his way ol telling adults he wants •Something or is upset or unhappy. A baby who's getting insufficient food Avill cry almost constantly. A a\ ell-fed baby getting attention and company at the right times, will sIU ternate sleep and play and be a happy little person almost the dav long. If a baby cries unduly or has persistent screaming-. lits 5 make sure there's no disease. Your doctor must check the baby over. For example congenital heart disease may be a cause of screaming that, lasts for some minutes and then suddenly subsides. Undue screaming sometimes indicates a mentally defective child. But don't imagine physical abnormalities as> a cause, of screaming once your doctor has told 3 r ou the baby is healthy. It's more likely to be plain "Paddy t " or your own forgetfulness in failing to bring up baby's wind during and after feeding. The normal infant is happy and crying very little. Mother must see baby's needs are satisfied. It's a full time job looking after a yet one mustn't go running after baby immediately and every time he cries. If so, he soon learns to turn on a screaming or crying fit as a means of bringing mother to heel, tie's got to learn to wait a little—a little frustration is wise discipline. However, it doesn't pay to neglect the scream of fear, nor to allow the screaming of anger to go on till he's exhausted and cried out. Adult reassurance. is needed, especially if he's frightened by a noise .at night. A baby does not like noise, day or night. Any unaccustomed noise scares him. Screaming is his way of dealing with this anxiety. ASo mother has to go and reassure him a touchy or the sound of her voice may be enough. Reassurance will be less needed as baby grows older. In the meantime crying lits call for a mixture ol attention or discipline according as mother's mothering instinct distinguishes the cause.