OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1979, 9 February 1914, Page 11

OUR BABIES.

■ —=—- TDT Hrqsii.l Publislied under the Socielt fpr tb« Health of Women p.nd Ctiildren,. "It ia .Tritof. to put .up a f«nco d.t .th« top pi ia, preoipifjt than to main tans ail atribnlane.? tho bottom." CItYING BABIES. Mothers, especially young .mother's, aro often greatly agitated when the baby erie?., and a.-: tlicy hiivo frequently had lltt-ld experience with regard to tho ways ol inlants they are at a loss to Idiow what to do. 'I'lie following, notes ivith regard to different kinds of cries and the causes which bring tlicin about should prove helpful to many readers. The customary course to pursue with a crying baby is to feed it-. This should never be. done unless the regular feeding timo has come round. Tho mother should lay down the times for feeding, and adhere to thorn strictly. ISvcii should -slis conclude that baby is hungry she should not feed liitft before tho proper ( timc. _ A. drink of boiled water should, be -given, and at the regular time a slight addition may be iiia-ds ui the quantity of food allowed if thoro is good reason for supposing that he lias been really under led. - Learn .to recognise tho different forms of cryhlg—■'then act kiiidly, sensibly, and if. necessary firmly. Never stop crying by. using a "comforter" or a "soothing pawder. ' Never feed a baby out of his proper time to pacify Mmdon't "spoil" Three Main Varieties of drying Iff Babyhood. 1. Prifiiary, painless, I'c-flo.X crying, needed for -expansion of lungs and exercise. v. ? 2. Crying due to bodily discomfort, or to being "out of sorts," ill, or ill actual p'a-itt. 3. Crying without pain, merely to gain rttteiit-jon-. i. _ This .is the cry of the "sjJoilßd" infant, and jiecds firmness, not further attention, and yielding. Crying at birth is reflex, natural and necessary for .proper expansion or tl-vo lungs; furthsv, a certain amount of cryfag during (tho ensuing mouths is • healt-hfol, . because th-e normal act -, of crying uiy.dv-fes, besides a deep br&ath-i-itg, coiisiderable ail-round nervous aftd muscular activity and exercise. This explains Ji.dw it is that when liq mot-ion has taken place on merely "hold.ing-out" tho baby he may havo a good mot-ion directU' he cries. However, a young baby should,, got 'his main exercise by vigorous .sucking—there being added later, kicking, waving of arms, etc. Is the Crying Normal or Abnormal? Orymg in moderation is natural, but baby should not cry too much, and bo should not c-ry the wrong way. Professor Iloli- .says:—"Tho {iro.per cry is loud <?nd strong. Infants got red iii the faeo with it; in fact, it is t scream. A cry is abnormal when it is too tang or too frequent. The abnormal cry is fa-rely strong, often it is a moafting or a Worrying cry, sometimes only a feeble whine." ■ "Tho nurse should learn to' rccogniso tho loiid-cry ''of -temper oi" of hunger, the intermittent, sudden outburst suggestive of pain, the long-drafeii wail of coiitiuup--! suifin-iht;. tho -sharp, pe-ue-trat-. ing cry of bfairi trouble, or the mournful whine of utter exhaustion."—(Forsyth.) • -Cry of Hunger or Thirst., This is generally, fretful, but mav bs bud and may mergo into the streaming 9? temper. .It'is'usually coirtiwved, is acramp:Uii'~d by sucking of the- fmgors, and steps promptly when the baby is fed or given a drink.. However, never re-sort-to feeding as a mere tnchns of stop-; ping crying—nevor fond except at feetl-i-iig times. If'the baby cries lief Are the appointed hottr cdtoes round, ptobabty:his allowance, is not ertoiisih, (consult "Feeding- Table," page -. 29, "What Baby Needs"), but remember that indi'j.rstiou and discomfort arising froiii -may oau&e similar Crying. Don't juJitp to conclusions.' Investigate. " Crying Because Uncomfortable. This may be due to baby being -top hot or too cold; to wot napkins.; lwrsh, ■ tight, over-heavy, or rucked clothing; or discomfort from lying too long iii. one ■position. Iu the last case cryirtg steps if baby is turned on to the opposite side. Any. other external iiritation, such as Hess, soro buttocks, or-prickly heat, eezema, etc., .will keep -a baby awake and fretful;.tlie samo.-applies to external discomfort of hunger or thirst, slight indigestion or wind, thrush, thij ir-rita-tipn of.-teething, or ahv -other aclics of infancy. Crying from Overtiredness, Feebleness, or Exhaustion. An overtired or sleepy baby may cry aild fight; for a' time against going to plcep, but will drop off when made quite co-sv and eomfortaole. . Though an overtired baby always tends to ery > a very weak, delicate, Exhausted child is iiic.ap.nblo of loud or continued crying. • If severe pain' is ■long sustained, even a strong baby becomes, exhausted, and lditd etfes giro place jfco ntero. feeble. Wailing or inoftiiiiig —a much moro dange-wnis state than the earlier stage when the child is able to lustily, . Next week'we shall Continue tho "Cries of tho Baby." Glaxo Builds Bonnf Babies,—Aclvt.