HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Chronicle (Levin), 3 August 1946, Page 2

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

«*- COLDS IN BABIES (By Ihe Department of Health.) Oue. of a mother 's (lutics is to shield her baby from a eold. Colds can be hard on a baby, not in themselvp.s so mueli ua by rcaaon of their eomplieations — broxu'hitia, pneumonia and ear inieet iona. Apart from theso diuigors to lii'e, the so-ealled "hanulcss" eold will atop baby's progress — lie'll lose weight. be o IT hia food and in'itable. Colds are better preveuted than cured. There is aome iminunity to colds passed ou from thc mother to baby that iasts a whilo after birth usually. This ia helped by breaat foeding. A hen mother has a eold herself and ia breaat feeding baby, she should eontinue to do ao, but wear a mask. A hoine-made mask will do. It should bo washed and boiled before re-uae. Mother should wear the mask .while the eold is in ita infeetious atages each tinie she handles baby. Everyone else with colds or siek in any wav should be kept away from baby. Be sure baby is getting adequate aniounts of fish liver oi 1 , for if therc's shortage in vitamius A and 1) the tondeitcy to catch » dd is grealer. ,Snnbathe baby every cliance you get; even in winter ou sunny days, in a sheltered spot, let the sun get to his skin. When a baby does catch u eold in spite of every cure, you '11 lind lie'll be "heavy" and ward to sleep more. Let him be in bed as much as possible. Be verv careful, at bath-time, to avoid ehiiiing, and at any other timo of ehaiigiug of clothes. Ile'll be oll' his food. Well, don 't force him Keduced l'oods with a eold will be all to the good. But see that lie has pienty of fruit drinks such as o range juice, or tomato juice and water, or rose hip syrup drink. Don't use any nose drops, eapecially oily ones, in the baby 's nose, but clear it "by the ordiuary matchstick awab method before feeds. In father, mother, uncles or aunts, or visitors, a small eold seems lit-tle to guard baby against; but what a lug eold that tinv adult oue can make in a baby! — ■ ' ■