CARE OF BABIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1920, Page 6

CARE OF BABIES.

THE MOTHERCRAFT TRAINING SOCIETY. INCREASING POPULARITY. London, 9th September. The Mothercraft Training Centre at Earl's Court, founded by Dr. Truby King, is gradually coming to be recognised as the final court of appeal in al! matters pertaining to the treatment and care of babies. It is basing its reputation 011 results. Courses of three months' training are provided for qualified nurses, courses of six months for mid-wives. Many who arrive with a doubt in their minds as to whether there is much more of their profession they can be taught, find the length of their stay only too short. Interested medical men from all parts come to the centre. Americans interested in infant welfare make a pilgrimage to the home. Some of the results obtained in desperate cases have been very wonderful, but on the other hand the practice of receiving cases despaired of by others has led to a higher death-rate in the home. In this connection it is interesting to note that in the annual report of one of the Mothers and Infants' Welfare centres a paragraph of appreciation reads as follows: "\\ e would wish to record here our deep appreciation of the Babies of the Empire Home, founded by Dr. Truby King. During the year we have sent four babies to this home, three of whom we feel confident, would not have lived but for the skilled care bestowed upon them by this institution. One of these babies, weighing 71b at four months old, who had been unsuccessfully dealt with at the hospital, was referred by us to this home, where it was admitted. At the end of nine weeks it had gained Sfloz. In its early weeks at the home it was fed from the breast of a fostermother. Another baby was brought to us, whose mother had been advised by a private doctor to wean. This baby was rapidly wasting. It was sent on by us to the home, where mother and baby were taken in, and brea9t feeding was established again." A NEW NAME. A new name has now been given to the organisation in control of the institution. Originally it was called Babies of the Empire Society. It was considered that this title did not convey a sufficient indication of its activities, and so it is now ollicially known as the Mothercraft Training Society (Babies of the Empire). It will be remembered that when Dr. Truby King returned to the Dominion, St. 'Thomas's Hospital took over the medical supervision of the institution. Dr. R. Jewsbury is now the medical director, and lie is' bent on preserving the principles laid down by Dr. Truby King. Dr. J. Fairbairn (of St. Thomas's) also attends the Home, and delivers a number of lectures. Miss Patrick, is now ably carrying on the duties of matron, and is endowed with that enthusiasm which seems to be characteristic of all who have come into personal contact with Dr. Trilby King and his methods.' The institution, which derives its income from voluntary subscriptions, from maintenance fees, and from a grant from the Ministry of Health, is, of course limited, to some extent, in the scope of its work by the amount of that income but that it is acting as a centre of inspiration is seen in the fact that other public bodies are beginning to adopt its breast feeding methods. Amongst these are St. Catherines College, Poplar, the North Islington Infant Welfare Centre, and tiie Infant Welfare Centre at Bradford, which is under the control of Dr. Flora Campbell, a lady well-known jn medical circles. At the' present time; one of the nurses from the Earl's Court Home is at Bradford carrying on a series of demonstrations. PROGRESS OF THE WORK. Beside the ordinary courses of training our nurses and other, simple, short, ' and practical courses are given to |' mothers and prospective mothers, Lcc-! 1 turei; are given by the matron and ! afterwards the practical work of bath- i ing and feeding the children is carried ; out by those attending these courses of! instruction. Tiiis branch of the centre's j' work is largely extending, anil is bring-' I ing to the society a great increase of | 1 popularity. |'

During a visit T paid to the' home last week, the matron convinced me that the work is beginning to leaven ideas relating to mothercraft in this country. It is naturally a slow process, but it is safe to say that ail who come into contact with the methods employed realise that they are the right and best ones to adopt in rearing the new generation.

The principle of breast-feeding, of j course, is the basis of the instruction, j The matron quoted several remarkable I instances of infants being returned to natural feeding after being weaned for some time. One perhaps is a record. A mother brought her child, whom she had weaned eight weeks previously. When the baby was three months old, the mother and child were discharged from the home, after being there for ten days. At that time the mother was able to supply seven drams of milk in twenty-four hours. She continued to coipe ,to the home as an out-patient, •H/fd two months later she was fully breast-feeding her baby. Another extraordinary case was that of a mother who could supply her infant only two ounces of natural milk in twenty-four hours. She left, after instruction and treatment, and in a fortnight returned to say that she was not only breast-feeding her own baby, but was feeding the one next door, whose mother was ill. Many lives have been saved, said Miss Liddiard, by the foster-mothers in the home. Another branch of activity is the preparation of the emulsion which serves as a substitute fur cream in huwinised milk. The methods of manufacture were duly perfected by Dr. Truby King before he left Wr New Zealand.] This is becoming more and more in demand among poorer people who cannot afford to allow the dairy milk to set for cream. In the house—which is very large, light and airy, and has balconies at the back and front—there are usually thirteen babies, but as many as sixteen have been there at one time. The desire is not to have more children than there arc qualified nurses. What one may call the "out-patient" department | is steadily increasing in numbers, and !the day boforc yesterday twenty-six of these small people, whose mothers were in need of advice, were brought 4*, gut bars Main, some lifliii stmt

he set in order that thoroughly successful results may be achieved. Miss Danvers, who recently completed her training at Earl's Court,'has gone to Felixstowe, the East Coast seaside resort with the idea of starting a centre of her own on similar lines.