OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 76, 22 December 1917, Page 6

OUR BABIES

[By Hvgeia.i

Published under the auspices ot tho Ivoyal xscw Zcajfttid Society for tho ; Health of Women and Children. It is wiser to put uy a leace attho top oi a precipice than to maintain an J ambulance at the bottom." INFANTILE DIARRHOEA. J** time has again come round for Ji an "" !l1 Warnings and advico siim.«r i safc | Ullr< lui(r' of children in nrriT i k° me of you hive read theso an cles before; but the simile truths they 5JJ 1 ' f cannot bo iilculciited too often, and there are always new recruits in our tho first time "° W ICttd the artioles for 80!lE0n ,. is approaching (luring wuich summer diarrhoea tends to bccomo rito among babies, it is importaut to S. fact that Ui e disease generally attacks infants who havo been mcro or less out of sorts for sowo timo previously. Mothers should now be on tiieir guard, and should watch carefully for.any sign of failure, each aB listlessn?Bß, dullnous, loss °f appetite, fretfulness, etc. _ Indigestion l due to unsuitable food and irregular feeding is tho main predisposing cause of diarrhoea in babies, bo that all motherß should be specially vigilant in summer. They should be perfectly regular in feeding, and should £i*»e the children nothing unsuitable or liable to disagree. THE HOLIDAY SEASON. Unfortunately, it is just at Christmas time and throughout the holidays—the hottest season of the year—that our New Zealand motherß become most irregular ard careless iu these matters. Olio frequently sees tiny tots being stuffed with cakes, bananas, aud sweets of all kinds, and a fooling of croat indignation arises at tho gross ignorance which makes sucil rilly possible. Travelling by rail or sea, or visiting friends, the child's power of endnranco iB strained to the utmost, and many an unfortunate infant in the Dominion makes no progress from Christmas timo to mid-January on this accouuti hence, when the most trying days come, and summer diarrhoea is rife, tho fetal disease knocks effectively at tho houses where the doors are already ajar. In such casus, if tile disease (loo's gain a. foothold, tho unfortunate baby cannot escapa unscathed. He may not die, but at DcsS he will be thrown back iov months, and moro or leßs injured for life. _ , I need scarcely say that prcvcntitivo meaBUrCB of almost equal importance to proper food and regular feeding are tho other'ensentials of hygiene—namely: - Pure, cool, free-flowing fresh air day and night. , .' Suitaule clothing by day and'night. Plenty of outing. Regular oxercise and sleep. Regularity of the bowels and (ther habits. Cleanliness. Dummies should be got rid of at once. The above applies to all children. It is, however, atnong yoiir babies that summer diarrhoea plays the greatest havoc. What should motherß do to prevent ita onset? NATURAL FEEDING' THE BEST PREVENTIVE. Tho main preventive measures is to feed babies as Nature intended. Bottle-fed babies are far more liable to get the discaso than those that aro breast-fed; therefore, if possible, do not wean during January, February, or March. The mother mu6t. of course, do all she can to make suro that her supply of milk is good and sufficient by taking plenty of exerciso iu the open air, by restricting herself to good, simple food taken at regular intervals, including from one to two pints more fluid than she would drink if not nursing, by having a'current of pure, fresh free-flowing air coursing through her bedroom all night long, and by regularity of all habits. Tho nursing mother should take no alcohol in any form. All the above-mentioned hygiemo , measures must bo attended to as carefully when the baby has the inostimable benefit of good' mother's milk as when he is bottle-fed. If it'is absolutely necessary to wean your baby, do it gradually, and give pro-porly-graded humanised milk. Never give fuU-stTength humanised milk to start with, but begin with a weak food and gradually work up to the standard as advised in the sooiety'a book, "Feeding and Caro of Baby," page 30. A THREATENED ATTACK. If a motion appears green when' passed, the motlier should bo on ' her guard at onco, and-should watch carefully thei next motion. If it is also green, she should proceed as follows, whether baby is breast-, led or bottle-fed:— 1. 'Give a dote of castor oil-Hmc -or two drachms, according to ago. The average need is an ordinary teaspoonful. 2. Give boiled water only, for the next two feedings.' ~ If baby is • breast-fed, tho mother must draw off the milk from, her breasts at the usual feeding times either by manipulation or by breast-pump or a sodawatcr bottle. (See "Baby's First Month, page 10, and illustrations opposite page 12; or "The Espoctant Mother and Baby b lirst -Month," pages 24 and 25, and ilußtrations on page 30.) ... If the trouble still persists, continuo giving boiled water and call in'a doctor, it thore is no more green after tho two feedings of boiled water, proceed as follows 1. In the case of a breast-fed baby, givo a few ounces of boiled water just before nursing, and allow baby to Buckle for a few minutes only. At the next feeding givo less water and a longer period of suckling, and bo on, the allowance of water being cautiously reduced at each feeding and the sucliling^extended. 2. In the caso of a bottle-fed. baby, boil the humanised milk for ten minutes, and dilute it with boiled 1 water. At tho first feeding following the two meals of boiled water only, give one- part of boiled humanised milk to four .parts of 4 boiled water. At the next two feedings Rwetvro partß of humanised milk to threo parts of boiled wator; then give three parts^of humanised milk to: two parts of boiled water for two or three feedings. , If all -lias gone well, there being no further green or' frequent motions, lull strength boiled lmmanißed milk may be reached at the end of another day. After ihnt nnlv -half tho milk need bo noilea, then a Quarter, -aud then'tlio boiling may cca.c. Older Children. During tho Bummer monthß children bo frequently eat unripe or parUally-deoayed fruit that a constant .watch should be kept for siens of indigestion and diarrhoea. Treat -older children" in the' bahieß-that is, give a dose-of -castor oil and boiled water only; for two or _ three media. Then give boiled milk and rice water. When the attack'lias tmssedoff, gradually work b&ck to ■ ordinary food.