OUR BABIES.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 361, 16 February 1937, Page 3

OUR BABIES.

By

Hygeia.

Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). “It js’ wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.” DIARRHOEA. (Continued.) THREATENED ATTACK. Treatment. —If baby’s motions appear green when passed, the mother should be on guard at once, and should observe carefully the next motion. Sometimes a motion becomes green or greenish after being exposed to the air for a time. This is of no consequence. Sometimes the motions are slightly greenish when passed, or partly greenish, but on rubbing with a corner of the napkin they are quite yellow.

If there is also some partially undigested food in the motions, this is a sign that the digestion has been overtaxed in Some way. The food should be diluted for a few feeds, and worked up to full stregth again gradually, or otherwise adjusted by the advice of the Plunket nurse. These greenish stools do not necessarily mean that an attack of diarrhoea is threatened, but they should always put the mother on her guard, for, as we explained, indigestion is the main predisposing cause of diarrhoea. If a second green motion is passed, especially within a short time of the first, the mother should proceed as follows, whether baby is breast-fed or bottle-fed: 1. Give a dose of castor oil—ore or two teaspoonfuls according to age. The average need is an ordinary teaspoonful (not a small afternoon teaspoon), but a very small or delicate baby may need less. 2. Give boiled water only for the next two or three feedings at least. If the baby is breast-fed, the mether

must draw off the milk from her breasts at the usual feeding times, either by expressing with the finger and thumb or breast pump or sodawater bottle. (See “The Expectant Mother and Baby’s First Month.”) If the green and frequent motions still persist and baby appears to be getting worse, continue to give boiled water only and call a doctor. If the motions are improving after the oil and water for two or three feedings and baby does not appear ill, proceed as’follows: 1. In the case of a breast-fed baby, give a few ounces of boiled water im-

mediately before nursing and allow

baby to suckle for a few minutes only. At the next feeding give rather less water and a slightly longer period at the breast, and so on, the amount of water being cautiously reduced at each feeding and the suckling prolonged accordingly. It may be necessary to. take several days or even a week or more to get back to full normal feedings. 2. In the case of a bottle-fed baby, either proceed according to the instructions on pages 82 and 108-109 in “Feeding and Care of Baby,” or discontinue humanised milk for a few days, giving instead a mixture of skimmed milk which has been boiled for 10 minutes and diluted with water. At the first feeding after the period of boiled water give only one part of boiled skimmed milk to four parts of boiled water. At the next two feedings give two parts of boiled skimmed milk to three parts of boiled water. At the next two or three feedings give three parts of boiled skim milk to two parts of boiled water. If all is now going well, there being no further green or frequent motions, humanised milk, boiled for five minutes, may be introduced into the skim milk and water mixture, until in the course of a few days or a week or more (according to progress )the baby may be taking only boiled humanised milk. The time of boiling may then be reduced by a minute or two a day until the mixture is merely scalded or pasteurised in the usual way. Fat, whether in the form of cream, top milk, or New Zealand emulsion, is not well taken in the cases of diarrhoea, and if given too soon or in too great a quatity, after even a slight attack, may cause further trouble. Always reduce the fat In baby’s food by reducing or discontinuing the cream and top milk or by discontinuing the emulsion temporarily if the baby is on humanised milk No. 111. Work up the time of setting the milk again gradually, and reintroduce the emulsion by giving one teaspoonful in the 24 hours to start with and increasing the amount by half a tea- ■ spoonful a day until full strength is reached, being guided in each case by the motions, and baby’s condition.

In severe cases of diarrhoea it may be necessary to cut out fat almost completely from the baby’s foot for a considerable time, giving the boiled skim milk and water mixture (in the proper portions of about 4oz. of skim milk to 2oz of water) for a longer period before introducing any humanised milk.

Discontinue fruit-juice during the attack, but if all goes well reintroduce it gradually as soon as the motions have been normal for a few days. Though quicker progress than that suggested may be made,. It is always safer to err on the side of “going slow” than to advance more quickly at the risk of a relapse. A competent nurse can usually advance more quickly than the mother, because she knows more about the symptoms and evidence which point to mere Improvement on one hand or practically complete recovery on the other.

Older Children

Treat threatened diarrhoea in older children in the same way—that is. give an adequate dose of castor oil and nothing but boiled water. Then give boiled milk diluted with rice water for two or three meal times. Work gradually back to full diet bymeans of simple, easily digested food.

It is naturally impossible to give definite rules which will apply to every case. Imagination and common sense are necessary in this as in everything. Consult the Plunket nurse it one is within reach, or write to the nearest nurse or Karitane Hospital for advice if you are in doubt or difficulty.