OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 280, 20 August 1921, Page 5

OUR BABIES

(By

"Hygela.")

Published under the auspices of tho Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children. “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom/’ KEEPING BABIES IN BED WITH ADULTS. In our last article we mentioned that an investigation made throughout the Dominion by the Plunket Society revealed the fact that at the time tiie inquiry was made about 10 per cent, of the babies, when first seen by the Plunket nurses, were sleeping’ ill bed with their mothers, though it was midsummer'; the proportion must be much greater in winter, possibly as high as 20 per cent, or more, because we find the common reason assigned ior tho practice is the supposed need of the younu child for warmth from the body of the mother. This utterly mistaken idea is by no means confined to ignorant or stupid people because we find the assumption quite common among mothers of good average intelligence, and, unfortunately, there are maternity nurses share the ignorance of tho laity in this i respect. THE BABY AS A HEAT PRODUCER. The rate of burning and heat production. weight for weight, is far greater in infancy than it is in adult life or even among older children. Every normal baby can supply ample heat even in the coldest weather if provided with a suitable, well-made bed. such as that described and illustrated on pages 35 to 39 of •‘The Expectant Mother and Baby’s First axont-h, _ and pages 34, 85, and 160 of “Feeding ana Care of Baby.” . , x . Of Course, the question might bo raised: “But what is to be done in the case where a baby is not plump and normal but thin and delicate? In such a case would the child not benefit by being kept warm and cosy all night alongside the mother? A. moment’s reflection would show that such baby would bo far more damagea by being- allowed to swelter in tho warm, damp, vitiated air of the parents bed than in the case of a strong, healthy baby and the risk of suffocation through overlying would b*' infinitely greater. In the ease of a delicate baby tho only special provision that needs to be made for securing adequate warmth in cold weather is to sandwich a hot bottle between the mattress and the chaff shakedown placed above it as recommended by the society „ x . Better than a hot bottle for the purpose is the circular flat, plated metal appliance known aa the Thermo!, which- is procurable all over the Dominion. It has many advantages, especially the facts that there is no filling with hot water, there is no risk of leakage, and this bedwarmer will maintain practically the same moderate temperature for 12 hours at a stretch It. obviates having too much heat in the evenins and an almost cold bottle by the early morn™. However, it must not be supposed that an ordinary hot bottle will not suffice if wel> muffled and properly attended to. I merely mention the Thermol as a steadier and more constant source of heat. THE .NURSE RESPONSIBLE.. It should be looked upon as an unpardonable offence on the part of any midwife or maternity nurse to countenance or allow- the sleeping- of a baby in the mother's bed in any case of which she has charge. If the parents persist m this vicious practice in spite of her remonstrances the obvious duty of tho nurse is to resign her position.