OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 80, 28 December 1921, Page 8

OUR BABIES

(By

“Hykeia.”)

PublUhed under the auepieee ot the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children. "It la wiser to put up u feuce at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.*’ INFANTILE DIAHItHOEA. As the season is approaching during which summer diarrhoea tends to become rile among babies, it. is important to emphasise lite fact that the disease generally attacks infants who have been more or less out ot sort for some time previously. Mothers should now be an their guard, and should watch carefully tor any sign of failure, such ax HsUessuuss, dullness, loss of appetite, Iretiuluess, etc. Indigestion due to unsuitable iood and irregular feeding is the main predisposing cause of diarrhoea, in babies, so that all mothers should be specially vigilant in "imimer. They should be perfectly regular in feeding, and should give the children nothing unsuitable or little to disTHE HOuIDAY SEASON.

Unfortunately, it is just, at Christmas time and throughout the holidays—the hottest, season of the year-that our New Zealand mothers become most irregular and careless in these matters One frequently sees tiny tots being stuffed with rakes, bananas, and sweets of all kinds, and a feeling of great indignation arises at the cross ignorance which makes such agree.

folly possible. Travelling by rail or sea. or visiting friends', the child’s power of endurance is strained to the utmost, and many an unfortunate infant in the Dominion makes no progress from Christmas

e lu min-.’ ,'duary on tins account; hence, when the most trying days ccme and summer diarrhoea is prevalent, the fatal disease knocks effectively' at the houses where the doors are already ajar. In such cases, if the disease, docs gain a foothold, the unfortunate baby cannot escape unscathed. He may not die, but a.t least he will be throw u back tor months, and more/or less injured for life

1 need scarcely say that preventive measures of almost equal importance to proper food and regular feeding are the other essentials for health—namely: . Pure. cool, free-flowing fresh air day and night. Suitable e’othing by day mid nieht. Plenty of outing. Regular exercise and sleep. Regularity' of the bowels and other habits. • Cleanliness. Never use a dummy. The above applies to all children. It is. fiowever. among young babies that Slimmer diarrhoea- plays tho greatest havq£. What else should mothers do to prevent its onset? NATURAL FEEDING THE LEST PREVENTIVE. Tho main preventive measure in to feed babies as Nature intended. Bottle-fed babies are for more liable to get the disease. than those that are breast-led; therefore. if possible, do not wean during January. February, or March. The mother must, of course, do all she can to make sure that her supply "f milk is good and snrameut by taking plenty of exercise in the open air, by les’rieTolg herself to good, simple food taken at regular intervals, including wheatmeal bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, a.nd from one to two pinta more fluid than she would drink if not nursing, by having a current of pure, fresh, freeflowing air coursing through her lidroom all night tong, and by regularity of all habits. The nursing mother should take no alcohol in anv form. If it is absolutely- necessary to wean vour baby, do it grafitmlly, and give property graded humanised milk. Never give full strength humanised milk to start with, but begin with a weak food and gradually work up to the standard n.e advised in the society's hook. “Feeding and Oare of Baby," page 31. A THREATENED ATTACK. <t a motion appears green when passed, the mother should be vii her guard at once, and should watch carefully tho r.cxv motion. If it is • also green, she should nroeeed as follows, whether baby is breastfed or bottle-fed;— ’. Give a dose of castor oil—one or two drachms, according to age, Tho average need is an ordinary teaspoonlul, 2. Give boiled water only for the next two feedings. If baby is breast-fed, the mother must draw off the milk from her breads at the usual feeding-time either by pressing with finger and r.Lumb. or bv a breastpump, or a soda-water bottle. See "The Expectant Mother and lial y s First Month.’’ if the trouble persists, continue giving boiled water, ana call in a doctor. If there is no more trouble after the two faedini£& of boiled witter, proceed as follows: — , „ „ , i. 1. In the case of a breast-fed baby, give a few ounces of boiled water just before nursing, and allow baby to suckle tor a few minutes only. ' At the next feeding give rather less water aud a longer period of suckling, r-.nd so on, the allowance of water being rauvously- reduced at each feeding aud the suckling extended. 2. In the case of a bottle-fed baby, boil the humanised milk for 20 minutes, and dilute H with boiled water. At the first feeding following the two meals of boiled water only, give one part i f toiled humanised. milk to four parts of boiled water. At tho next two fe.-.dmgs give two-parts of boiletl humanised milk to three parts of boiled water; then give throe paits of humunls'd milk to two parts of boiled water for two nr three it-cdingr. , , If ail has gone well, lull ftrength boiled humanised milk iliav be reached at the end of another day. After that oily half the milk need be boiled; thor. a quarter, and then Hie boiling may cease. In cases of severe diarrhoea, it may be necessary to cut off fat almost completely from the baby’s food, giving r.nly boiled skim milk and water lor :• time, instead of humanised milk. OLDER CHILDREN. During the summer months children so frequently eat unripe or partiallydecayqd fruit that a constant vvat-'h should be k-nt for signs ot indigestion and diarrhoea-. Treat older children in tne same way as babies—that is. give it dose of castor oil and boiled water only for *wo m* three meals. Then give boiled milk and rice water. When the attack has passed off, gradually work back to ordinary food.