OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1941, 26 December 1913, Page 4

OUR BABIES.

'■;.,; my. nveEu,l Published under tho auspices of the Society for Uio Health of Women fciid Children, "It Is wiser to put up a, fence at the top of a, pfticipicc tliu.ii to $u ain tain an auilju. lance at Hie bottom." NOl'h'.—l'bo Society e-taEiE-ly disapproves of me lite mi' ortHMaul iooius u.3 q. BUlisi.it.uto i-or moMiors' w nilNHjnisctl nillK. Full a-lrt'ctioufi lot l-iio proiKifnitou of tho niiur iu« contained in tlio Soclcij , '« paun*lci c-uuiiw "What, Baby hvudn." Tho Now.Zealand scheme for nromot* ing tho health irf women and •.•nildreu is the title of the address given by Dr. Trilby King at tho. Congress on infantile Mortality and Promotion of tho Welfare of Children, held in London last August. 1 feci sure that our readers will bo interested in what was laid before tho Assembly, which included a very largo number of representatives from America, and a fair number irom the Continent of Europe and the colonics. I may say in advance that in their remarks! after tho address the American representatives expressed themselves as specially appreciative of what is being done in New Zealand, and it was admitted that, in spite .of the prominent position which had been taken by the United States in theso matters, they 'had nothing at all answering to tho w«rk of tho Society .for tho Health, of. Women and Children, especially in its helpful and eductitivo mission' to all classes. Some of the leading English health authorities said it would he a.u admir» • able thine; if they could arrive at some- , thing corresponding to the weekly "Our Babies" column, and they spoke in . very generous appreciation of tlio Society's 'various publications. In tho October number of "National Health" (the, English organ for the co-ordination and dissemination of knowledge on all matters bearing on tho physical improvement of the race) it is announced that a monthly baby column will bo given on tho New Zealand lines. Questions and answers appear in tho current mini- ' her, recommending _ three-hourly feedins, no night feeding, etc., in' exact' accord with the society's rceommciida- ' tions—duo acknowledgment being made. At tho same time, the editor explains that tlio intention to start such a rol. mini had been intimated last Jlay, before they released what had been going ' on in New Zealand for the last six years. DR. KING'S ADDRESS. "Every woman hi England lias at one. time or another of her life charge of tho personal health of somebody, whether child or invalid—in other wat'ds, every woman must become a nurse, Tho knowing what are the laws of lifo and death for men, and what the laws of health for houses and houses arc healthy or unhealthy mainly according to the knowledge or. ignorance of the woman, are not these matters of sufli-' cieitt importance and difficulty to require learning by experience anil careful m<|iiiry, just as much as any other art ? The.v do not como by inspirathm to the loving heart : , , ami terrible is the injury which has followed from such wild notions,"—Froi'i'i "Notes on Nursing for the Working Classes," by Florence Nightingale, published half a century age.! There exists throughout New Zealand an organisation known as the Society for the Health of Women- and Children, which has established branches in some ?() centres, These branches are presided over..by-.10ca1,-executive .comifu'toos,'numbering'.from LS.'ioStl members each, awl embrace a .very Inr£o, earnest, . and influential membership roll, repre-" sentativc of the motherhood of the Dominion.' ' : The newspaper press of tlio whole, country has played a laiidins role m the movement, helping and pcouragmg us, entlorsina and advocating our work, ami publishing at the present time sortw , 2011,000 copies'of a weekly article, un-:: der tho headiua "Owr Babies Column," supplied by the society to 50 newspapers, and reaching practically every homo in the Dominion, penotrating, indeed, tho remotest basis-blocks, beyond the reach of doctor or nurse. Tho society canto into definite corporate existence only six years The- work was then entered into with great spirit by a oominitteo of smtio 25 earnest women in Duuodin, drawn from air creeds and classes, who felt that a stand ou£ht to bo made for rational education, help, and ti'aluin-t in tho simple essentials for healthy normal motherhood and babyhood. For'about- two years previous to this some of us had been amy ing on a systematic pioiiccrins educational health mission among parents of all classes inDunedin by means of lectwres, newspaper articles, and personal visitation of homes by a specially trained inirso, The nurse was on the telephone, and ji«r 'services were available on application free to any mother who wanted to know how £o do the best for herself and her child. Tire help ami teaching, of tho nurse were soon sotujht by metherS' of all classes in the spirit in which they were tcii-tiered-—not as a charity, but'a'4 II measure of free education in a matter of vital iiuportuneo to the wholo coininnnity. .',,,• i From first to last nrarii atteutioi! has been directed ! to the essential recjVitreincnts as re'sards fresh air, sunlight, cleanliness, proper fcediiu;, exercise, rest, sleep, reaular habits, etc.. ami how' to attain. ,thcso in- the home in tlio simplest and best way. As regards mi> trition, we omnhasise the paramount importance of hreast feeding for both nio- ' the.- and child; faili»K this, we i«.int out tho duty of parents- io .provide tho best substitute. Mothers am taught, how tn modify milk in their Twims m tho simplest way on pereenti,™ Hues. S'u;:ar of milk in retailed at Is a lb., and its use lor bottle-led baliies in lieu of cam; sn«ar has beciwm almost universal. of halnes not more than six times a day at first., and ~ftcr four months old live tunes, is stroin'lv atlvocatcil. and no nmhtteeilinE. "The curse of "pap-feedwi!!," and U,o need for hard, dry food and -t«miin" in mastication Wore tlio owl or tho first awl onwards arc- insisted on. . , . ' .i • \ (To bo continued next week,) G-laxo Builds Bonny Babtos.-Advt.