OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2150, 16 May 1914, Page 11

OUR BABIES.

TBT HYGEU.I Published und«r the auspioes of the Society for the Health ot Women and Uhildron. "It Is wiser to put up a fence at the top or o. precipice than to maintain an ambulance at tha bottom." A MOTHER'S LETTER.

The following letter was received by the matron of ihe Karitano Hospital tho other day from a mother in tne backblocks :—

''1 hope you will excuse me troubling you. I wish you would tell me what is best to do for my baby. He is a week off four months, entirely breast-fed, a good averago baby. When he was about two months old he began to be troubled with his teeth, also with his bowels.-Hβ rarely has a natural motion, but lie is not constipated, but more inclined the other way. I have tried a good warm bath, rubbing the stomach with warm oil; twice I gave him oil", but it had no effect. At present I am giving him orango juice, and either apple or peach juice (stewed), one teaspoonful twice a day. I might mention that, since I can remember, I have been troubled with indigestion, and.up till less than two years I suffered from ulceration and inflammation for several years. I have no woman neighbour or anyone, here wHo could/ give me proper advice, and I am 30 miles from a doctor, and seven from the telephone, so I am anxious about baby. Ho is my first child. Although I have had a great deal to do with babies, I have not seen any like him. "Would you please send me ono of the society's books, 'What Baby Needs.' Enclosed you will find stamps , for payment. Send 'Feeding and Care of Baby' 'if it is better. "Hoping I am not troubling you too much,—Yours,,etc." REPLY. Tho matron of the Karitane Hospital sent me the .letter you wrote her about your baby. She tells me she has posted you the society's larger book, "Feeding and Caro of Baby." You will notice on page 111 that it says: "A constipated child should always be regarded as on the verge of diarrhoea; babies readily pass from one extreme to the'other." .You will understand from this fact why it is that you find it hard to say whether your baby's tendency is towards constipation or diarrhoea. ': There is no condition 1 which benefits more by strict attention to all the simplo essentials named on pages 1 and 2 of tho society's books than constipation such as you describe. Just a little more all-round tone, health, and vigour sets tho baby right. On no account

RECENT SYDNEY MODEL OF A BLACK PANNE GOWN.

omit plenty of fresh air day- and night, plenty of outing and sunshine, plenty of kicking exercise, daily stimulation and strengthening' of the belly by rubbing, etc. By the way, there is a matter which I should have spoken of first of all—namely, the question of your own health and habits. You say you have beon- troubled with indigestion, etc. It is. nevcr'too late to mend in such matters. For the sake of yourself and the baby you should study tho advice given on pages 9 and 10. If you would only carry out the simple Regimen for Health outlined in the book, it Would tend to make all the difference in the world to you and the baby. However, I am afraid you may not be in a position to borrow a weighing machine In any case, it will be well to reduce the number of feedings'to five in the 24 hours, as shown on the lower "clock-face," page 35. This often proves 'beneficial at four months, or even earl- , ier. gin all probability the 'change will improve matters, ae it will give the stomach mqro rest and time for complete digestion. A baby does not, necessarily take less food when given only five instead of six feedings in the 24 hours, but the organs tend to do their work better, and the increased interval proves beneficial to the mother also. It occurs to me I have not mentioned that tho giving of a little more fluid (say from one to three tablespoonfulß of plain boiled water twice a day, between feedings) often proves helpful. Further, if other measures fail, you might try tho daily use of a teaspoonful of the best olive oil, which sometimes does good where a baby has constipation. This and many other useful hints you will find in the book. You should road all the earlier part at your leisure, because there aro many points bearing' on tTio health of yourself and tho baby which one is unable to deal with' in the courso of a short letter.