OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 152, 22 March 1919, Page 2

OUR BABIES

|B/ HIGEIA.I Published under the auspices of the Eoyal Sew Zealand Society lor tho . Health of Women and Children. "It. is wiser to put up a fenco at tho ; top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance, at the bottom." SUGGESTIONS FOB THE CAKE OP OLDEfi OiilLDltlisJ.—(Continued.) ■ Outdoor Bleeping. Many parents are coming to realise tha supreme advantage oi it owcony, or veran(iUii lor their ciiildreu to sleep on, and wnero people are auiu to uuild their own houses arrangements can ho maue from tne ueginniUK lor wider or balconies iiian aro seen m oider nouses. if bedrooms aro only to be used to aress and keep, clothes In they can be quite small, aim the space thus saved can oe' adued to the out-aoor sieepiug accommodation, 'lo lie suitable for deeping on/balconies or verahuans noed a women-or ;iiieb eud, and possibly part of a Eidp as shelter irom me prevailing weather Quarter; but in'e . cavo snouid . u<> carried out further iijan usual, tuid tne lop liin. oi tho wail left open to provide top ventilation; otherwise me bed is apt to be in a dead end, and tne benefit ot out-door sluepuic minimised. in summer the bed should be puiitu free oi the sheltering wail it possible. .

coine parents have found that, in spito of haying proviutd shelter, a draught is apt 16 pmy about.'tnetr cnitdrens neads tuid cause them to catch cuius.: .A sirnpia contrivance.win.protect them.against such draught's "'and: against "the "moon' shiumg in ana waking tneiiiup. -It .ordinary wire maitress'streichers are used first miise uio little head flap rigid with two Bmail stripe ot' wood across ma joint, then hx it to two uprights about 18in. high and a crossbar top and bottom, upon whicn a ijurtaiu ot washing material can be run, Wnn littio trouole a father or brother can add to tais two short side-tiapß with hinges to . carry , curtains, . the ■ whole arrangement being exactly me same euapa as the wind screen of an up-to-date 'motor-car. The ' side Haps can be pulled to or turned back vis desired, the curtains washed and boiled, aud in really hot weathor left off altogotaer, anu ue b:<t can- be turned so that me cnild's head is protected whichever way me wind comes. If a high-sided cot is Being used; or an iron bedstead with high endtf. it is eveu easier to carry out this plan than. with a stretcher, and parents will lind that it enablea a verandah to ha used that would otherwise bo unsuitable.

EXERCISE AND FEESH AIR. ' The' best all-round form of exercise is walking .in the open air, and'all children should be habituated to it. A child gradually trained to walking from its intancy, if prorided with comfortable, welllitting Bhoeß, will greatly enjoy a vigorous walk, especially, if liie mother, elder sister, or nurse makeß the outing, interesting by telling a story or playing a'same, ;sucli as some form of the over-fascinating gatno of "pretending." ■If children, 'suitably dad, were taken for regular interesting walks in all weathers wo should.see fewer spindley. legs. Provided a child is properly sliod, walking exercise, develops the calf muscles, and strong, shapely limbs are tho result. You will notice that 1 advised a vigorous walk, -That is very different from a listless ■ dawdle in the hot, sunny aide-walks of a' city or country town: The vigorous walk is stimulating to every part .of; the body, while the listless dawdle i 6 wearisome, unprofitable, and deadsnine to child and nurse alike. When children are going for a walk in charge of a nurse it is well, for ihe mother to lay down the route and.impress <on' the nurse that she must walk.-and- not dawdle.

I'. "Beware: of' too'''muoli motoring for Httlo 1 *cMil(Jren, Veepeoially 'in winter, A motor jjiay be really necessary as ; a. means.of.-Rcttinfr'children from point to 'point, but it should never be looked upon : fls'-a, -means'of giving ;the'm'lh<>ir regular "fresh air. and outing.,' :ThcJVare far betiter,'playing at .home in-'the garden, or going, suitably clothed,-fpr a'-briek walk when the' leather is bad: "'.Children who motor too much 'will;tend not only actually, to. catch cold,. but also to suffer from ,'.cold feet and poor 'circulation, their whole systom- -lacking- the bracing and toning that nothing but exerciso combined with fresh air can give. It is ono of the misfortunes of an only child to Buffer tho most-from lack of natural exercise, and 110 .pains should bo spared t<; secure little companions for such children lo romp'and play with, " 1 . .