'MOTHER'S" LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 217, 7 June 1919, Page 5

'MOTHER'S" LETTER.

CONSTIPATION OP KIGHTEEK-JIONTII- ' .OLD BABi'. The following letter has just come to hand "Will you kindly advise me in 'Our Babies'" column what to do in the following ease:—ily baby is now eighteen mouins old, anil bus been more or less constipated during his life. . In the first twelve months I had to give him ah'average of one enema a weeit. (sometimes he would go a fortnight without requiring any, and sometimes ife would reyuire two enemas in the one week. Since twelve months old up to tho present time lie has required an average of two. enemas per week, acting in ; the name way as before, sometimes going' .a fortnight without requiring any. lie has been bottle-fed except lor the first three months, when ho v.as part breast-foa. With regard to Jiis case, I ha.vc followed the instruction in the Plunket book with the exception of getting the bowels to niovo at tho same tiiuo each day, although I have tried to manage to get a movement at 'some time' each day, and on an average of about onco it week I have let him go oil to the second day iu the hope of a, movement without usiug tbo enema., lie has had orange juice as 1 recommended until he was fourteen months, tnd now gets baked and raw apple, also aU recommended. JJc has always had and still hns a room to himself,'sleeps perfectly at night, and has a three hours' nap every afternoon. Jio invariably wakes up smiling, 15 .very rarely cross, .Has never had a day g. illness, and appears to be a perfectly healthy baby. lam rather at a loss to understand this tendency to constipation, unless it is that he lias inherited it. I shall bo very pleased and grateful to get your advice." COMMENT, There seems to be it distinct hereditary tendency to constipation iu the case of this baby; but that ought to make "Mother" all the more determined to overcome tho trouble. Uur correspondent. does r.ol say what kind of enema she has been in the. habit of using. A small tonic enema of 13 to 'ii ol normal saline (a icvel teaspoonlul of common salt to a pint- of boiled water), given'by means of a, tiny spft-nozzled bulb enema, may be used once or twice a week for a considerable time without much harm, though every effort should be made to secure a natural movement every day at- the same hlur.

A 'great'deal of harm is often done by tho habit ol giving ordinary enemas to babies. It is quite a common thing to limt mothers giving a daily injection cf from. 23 to a quarter of a pint or more of soap and water. • This is iiighly injurious, and renders the "bowel more and more sluggish. , Tho forming of regular habits in infancy ia most important, and it is especially important in connection with the daily ac tiou of thu bowels. Tho injunction, "Don't let 10 o'clock in tlio morning pasß without ■ getting the bowels to move if there lias not been a motion in tho previous twenty-four hours," should be a watchword in all homes where there are young children. So much illhealth, misery, and-.incapacity iu adults are due to constipation that it is ,well worth tailing "some trouble to induuu regularity at the start- of life.

JIASiSAGU OP THE ABDOMEN. ; Abdominal massage affords a very inv portant means of toning and bracing up not only the muscles of the abdominal walls, but also thu muscle# of the bowel itsplf, and tho glands which pour their digestive juices into tho whole alimentary caual. It is wonderful what can ho achieved in counteracting constipation in babieu by skilful massage following on tho nee ot an enema of loz. or 20/..; but this inassagt, tardy doiio efficiently. Tho great point is to manipulate tho .abdomen gently'and yet ilrrnly and deeply, following round tho horseshoe of the large intoslino. Tile fimt esseutiul iu treatment of tnis kinc? is to understand just what yyu wapt r.u arrive at. ' The abdomen must bomaui.pulatcd not merely on tho surfaeo, but nlso. by deep and firm, yet gentle, pressure in the right direction. If thin pressure were exercised without allowing fdi the breathing, the chiltl would struggle and rcsißt at once, and tile walls of tho abdomen would become "as stiff rns a. board"; but if the pressure is gently and tactfully applied mainly with each intake of tho breath (when Lhe abdomen naturally slackens), it is quite easy to use continuous pressure iu successive waves, as it wore, gradually getting deeper and deeper, without arousing the opposition of tlio muscles. A really competent abdominal nurse could tench this manipulation dexterity iu a few lessons.

SOME LEADING CAUSES OP ' CONSTIPATION. I shaii now emmiernlo a few of the leading causes of constipation in addition 1,0 the lack of early training to. ptrfect regularity of tho bowels every day, to which I have already referred. (t) Not giving baby the full beiioitfc of : all tho simple essentials lor health and vigour summed up ou pages 1 and 2 of tho society's book, "Feeding and Onto of Baby." (I) 'I'lic luck of a snDicieney of fluid. A constipated baby will often be helped by giving an ouncc or tivo of water between two of the meals. (3) Uusuitabilily of the food nn regards natural laxatlvenesfl. Certain foodstuffs tend to l)n laxativc-for instance, oat jelly, oatmeal porridge, malt extract, baked, apple, rn.w apple, well-cooked prunes, well-' cooked spinach made into a flno juice,, olive oil, fresh fttiit juice, etc. N.D.—While olive, oil is" laxative, castor oil is one of llie most binding of all substances, and should never bo given for constipation. (4) Failtiro to enstiro sufficient dnily stimulation to the skin and musclcseepecially the skin muscles and internal organs of tho abdomen—by the uso of cold sponging, followed by brisk friction with n. dry towel and tho uce of proper umssa'je as already indicuted.