OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 5

OUR BABIES

TBy Hxgeia.t Published under the auspices of the Royal Now Zealand Society for tlio Health of Women and Children. "It is wiser to put a fcnco at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom."

TOO EARLY WEANING. Unnecessary weaning long before the baby is nine months old is one of the most disastrous mistakes of modern motherhood. Speaking many years ago to the matron of a large Salvation Army Home, I happened to say that I thought the oommon practice of weaning unfortunate.babies during the first month was very cruel. The matron, a very excellent and earnest woman, replied with deep feeling: / "I don't call it 'merely cruel: I call itmurder. I have seen so much of the pitiable results of early weaning that I wonder something more is not done to prevent it." ! Babies' Rights. ' In alb directions one 'hears the same thing from people who have had large experience .with the class of children who commonly graduate sooner or later to licensed homes. Concerning these the Rev. Mr. Smaill, of Christelnircli, speaking of, his own personal experience, extending over a great number of years, remarked what; an enormous boon it would be to theso, primarily wronged babies if'their mothers could all be compelled to rear them naturally for at least the first six months, instead of facilities being offered euabling the mother to get rid of her natural charge and responsibility at the end of a fortnight.. Nowhere was the truth of what Im> "contended more strikingly seen than in. Christchurch itself. . In an admirable refuge there,, where,' the mothers stayed for six months, I saw a dozen or more babies, every one of which was a picture of health, and I do not think that there .was one being artificially, led at Hie time of my visit. This was many years ago; but I can remember clearly the very striking contrast between these infants and the ones we saw in the course of a day spent in- visiting the artificially-fed babies in other institutions and in licensed homes. Mr. Smaill was equally emphatic regarding the moral effect on the mother and the effect on her lvpalth; but;it would bo outside the scope of the present articlo to dwell on this aspect of the matter. My concern at the moment is the babj. Proper Guidance Needed. In the class of cases I have just been referring to, the baby, is usually weaned for the .mother's convenience, merely because she wants to get back to her ordinary work and her ordinary life; but 'there are many cases where married women, who are most anxious to do justice to their progeny, fail to continue nursing beyond the first few months, simply because they liavo had no proper guidance. In previous articles 1 have drawn attention to the common causes of this failure; but' to-day I should like 1 to emphasise specially one point—vis., the need for rational care of the' breasts and rational system in nursing. '.In this connection I may quote the following from "Feeding and Care of Baby," page 0:— , "Mothers ,are generally told that after' the first week baby must have only one breast at each nursing, the breasts being used alternately. This is right where the mother has plenty of milk and. baby gets all ho needs from one breast. But where this is not the case—whero the supply falls short of what is needed, and one breast does not furnish enough for one feeding—baby should ccrtainly 1» put to both, sides at cach Buokling, tlio right breast being used first at ono feedingtime, and, tlio left first at the next. This is tho best means of stimulating tho secretion of milk, from eight to 10 minutes being allowed for each breast. In any case, tho breast first suckled should be emptied; but with an increasing supply less and less time should to allowed in regard to the second breast; and if tho '(supply becomes ample, only the one breast shouljl bo used at each nursing."

Wrong Advico Frequently. Given. ' Over and over again in England wo found theso considerations ignored, and heard the wrong advico given to mothers visiting the various institutions, whose very object is to fostor normal motherhood. Indeed, I cannot recall a single instance in which any reference .was made,to the necessity of using both breasts whero the milk Bupply was failing. The assumption seemed to bo that iho alternate usa of tile breasts at successive feedings should apply under all circumstances. Equally wrong was the way in which,women were invariably told to entirely replace one or more breast-feedings l>y bottle-feedings whore the baby was failing to increase in weight satisfactorily. There was obviously no realisation of the fact that tho surest way to dry up the milk supply is to givo up stimulating tho breasts regularly at tho proper times. Tho mother was often told to drink more milk or to take more fluid in other forms; but one scarcely, over heard anything said as to proper sponging of the breasts twico a day and the use of brisk friction and massage. ' Weighing Baby Before and After Nursing. Weighing a baby beforo and after nursing was quite exceptional in the schools for mothers, and in somo they said frankly that they never resorted to this, and, indeedi bad no scales capable, of weighing closer than an ounce. Even in New Zealand tho extromo value of this procedure is only gradually becoming fully recognised, and I think it well on this account to quote the following clear and emphatic statement from tho. Society's book,, page 57:—' , "In tho'easo. of a breast-fed baby, if there is indigestion, putting-up of food, restlessness,' disturbed sleep, 'or any other sign.of ill-health, or discomfortespecially if the baby is hot growing properly—the first thing to do isVto woigln him'before and afjer feeding., THis rule is absolute. -Such,weighing affords tho only means of ascertaining whether a suckled baby is getting the right quantity, ofrfood. Without weighing, any at-, tempt at treatment is mere guesswork and empiricism."