"FEEDING AND CARE OF BABY."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 894, 13 August 1910, Page 9

"FEEDING AND CARE OF BABY."

A BOOK FOR MOTHERS. This book, issued at the modest price . of one shilling, by,the Society for the Health of Women and Children, is * welcome and praiseworthy addition t<r tho literature of hygiene in this country. A great deal of most useful and .sound information has been compressed into tho 143 pages; there are many, quotations from European and American sciontifu; authorities, also many very good and clear illustrations, and an index. , , . ■'■ \ This handy volume begins with some plain instructions for prospective mothers, and the diagrams-showing.tho bad results of corset-wearing should- bo carefully .studied. , -Though not: "much, space has been given to the question of , , women's clothes, it is' an. important part, for certainly "a woman's; clothes j are the.despair of the hygienist." Until women learn to dress, scientifically, (also, lot us trust, beautifully)', it is of little use.to hone for a more vigorous race hi these islands. . ■'.■'.-. The subject of, natural and artificial feeding of infants is thoroughly and admirably dealt with. Clear-and simple directions and recipes for making humanised milk are given, and granted tho .careful use of the. thermometer,, no woman should liavc any .difficulty', in prepaying.this—tho best substitute for mothers' milk for .young 'babies. But 'while the chemistry of foods shows that cows'. milk is less nourishing ■ for.. infants when boiled,' bacteriology", teaches that thero is so much the greater need, for a pure milk supply,. guaranteed ; free from pathogenic microbes; Hence, in defence of. the babies, as well as of' ouv adult population,'it-'-is urgently to be desired that the. municipal authorities should ensure "a pure milk supply for the city. ■ Busy town mothers .would also be glad to have.a daily supply of humanised milk, such as is provided in" many" European cities. The .excellent ■ results achieved at the Karitane.,Hospital by means, of hygienic treatment and feeding with humanised milk can- x not be too widely made known, and tho reports of the Plunket Nurses.show that there should be very few deaths, and little sickness among babies. . . '•• As Dr. E. Williams reports, "tho almost universal use of patent;foods.has. come to be recognised as a prime factor in indigestion, malnutrition, rickets, etc., which , may show themselves , :' .in." spite of otberwisu ideal hygienic isu'iv roundiugs." Instead of patent foods, various simple foods are recommended for older'babies, and recipes given for preparing some of them. No'-doubt vegetarian parents with aesthetic sensibilities will not feel inclined to follow.. this advice:,"Atisix- months of. , 'age a .chicken-bone or\chop-bone (from which all but a' trace of meat has been rotaoral) '■ may , be given to the baby': at meal-times. , ' This suggestion- hardly agrees with that on a later'page, where,'' among, articles of food "improper for a healthy "child under four years of ago in all circumstances," meats are mentioned.- : '.'.'..' . .

lii the section of the booknlevoted to General; Hygiene, more, miglit ■ have been said about the vitalising-and mi-, crobe-destroying effects of -sunshine,' and the benefit of sun baths. After noticing in so niany : houses /all'-the'blinds pulled.'down to exclude sunshiue, I 'one. is not'surprised to observe the number of anaemic women and -girls, 'walking in the streets, and the white-faced babiesin perambulator's.*-'.AVhile tion of a Bedroom ventilated' by means df a widely-opened window is an excellent model for a calm' day; it Would not be satisfactory during our.-violent jwiijdjj' days. In future editions of thebook, it would bo a good plan to tions of otlier simple, mbthods ofi ventilation. * ; ■■'■.*.■..*: ':..", ;■•:',',:.■„.;■ .

.Of great interest are. the pages ■ devoted to babies' clothing,, cots, exercise, feeding-bottles, cures for simple ailments, tile growth and care of'the teeth, and consumption and ; adenoids. Philosophers will agree that ■ , it is a strange fact.that the : last half-century has invented four previously- unknown.curses of ' babyhood—the "long-tube feeder," the "dummy," '■< '. "(jondensed milk and patent foods." Seeing .'.that "adenoids and the factors that give rise to them are the parents of.tuberculosis, and of- most' other, .diseases, and that apparently no placo in ' New Zealand is freo from adenoids, and iu some districts half the- children suffer from this disease, it is of the. greatest importance for. parents to. know ■ that amoiig the causes of this,disease--are. long-tube feeders,.-, "dummies,"; Vor "comforters," and pap-feediiig. So "important, indeed, to race-culture, is.this section of tho book that wo should like to. see it published as a separate pamphlet, and distributed all' over the country.' ' : ■ ■/,'; '■ '. . '

■ 'While much attention has been given to. the growth and , care of the.teeth,' only oho. short paragraph'describes the necessary care -of-.the eyes iu infancy. As many-cases of blindness and defec-, tive. eyesight are caused by- neglect 1 of babies'.. oyos,, it is regrettable ■ that so little information has been provided,on, this topic' ■■" "■ ; .'■ .■;: ■ ..■■-•■.

Every mother of young childrenshould possess a. copy of tin's'excellent. book; for. country/folk, who have probably neither doctor, nor niirse at hand to consult, it will bo invaluable. ].. The. Society for the Health of Women' and Children is doing a good' work" and would extend it, had it more.' fuhds;. When the society becomes a national health society, that-cares also ior.the' health of boys and men, and when'this 1 national, health society is furthei , sisted by a society for the study of\ eugenics, -we shall, at last, be taking definite steps towards the natio'nalisa-.-■ tion of, health in New Zealand. ';]