CARE OF THE VERY YOUNG

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 December 1938, Page 8

CARE OF THE VERY YOUNG

COMMONSENSE HINTS. TO EASE THE WAY. A mother nowadays feels vastly superior when she compares her ways of managing with past methods; but still a little sound advice may help the household to run smoothly and pilyWhen baby’s fingernails grow long, he can scratch his face, disfiguring himself temporarily, and perhaps be in danger of carrying infection should his nails or fingers not be clean. They should be cut when .they grow too long, the only care necessary being taken to see that baby is quiet while the operation is in progress, and that the sharp-pointed ends of the scissors do not, during his erratic and uncontrolled movements, stick into and hurt him. The mother will find it much easier and safer to perform this small rite when he is quietly sleeping. It should not disturb his rest if the mother is gentle and careful. A Fallacy. “Oh, do not let baby look into the looking-glass; it will make him crosseyed!” This is a fallacy that sometimes still persists, making a sensible-minded mother smile when she hears it. A young baby often has his eyes crossed when troubled with wind and colic pains, but as more control is gained over his digestive processes that defect will disappear. Should there be a muscular weakness of the eyeball, one eye will not move in unison with the other and the child will be permanently disfigured unless special treatment be taken to remedy the defect. .

By the time an infant is nine months old his eyes should work in a perfectly co-ordinated manner, so any muscular weakness after that time will probably necessitate medical advice. Because of the difficulty in focusing objects when his eyes work in variance—imposing more strain on his nervous system, the child also suffers through being physically different from other children. Fresh Air. A wee baby needs as much fresh air as does an older child. But many a misguided mother still feels that the atmosphere is too strong for her baby to breathe, so she shrouds his head in many folds of shawl or covers his face with a finely-meshed handkerchief, forcing him to continually re-breathe in the air his lungs had previously rejected. This would be unhealthy for anyone strong and virile, and how much more so is it for a little baby needing every assistance at the beginning of his life to lay the foundations of good health. It is’ still thought by some mothers that unless baby’s face were covered he would swallow the wind and get “wind and colic.” They hardly real.se that such troubles are purely digestive troubles, and are caused by some mismanagement during and after feeding, which can be prevented and cured by more and better knowledge of baby’s mealtime problems.

Hair-Washing Hints. Hair-washing time is very often a tjne and process greatly disliked by both child and mother. It may so easily become an agitated procedure, the child screaming because of soapy water getting into his eyes and the mother becoming, unhappy and fussedup through not knowing how to manage otherwise. While baby is little, the mother can so easily manage that part of his regular ablutions, holding him face upwards over the bath-tub whilst she washes the soap off his head. But when he is too big and heavy to hold thus!, the unhappiness sometimes begins. Soapy water in the eyes is far from pleasant to anyone, so it can be well understood that hair-washing time is hated because of that reason. Little girls with long hair have the worst time of it, but still their hair needs just as much attention or more than shorter hair.

Holding the washer over the eyes would be all right if the little arms could stand the strain of keeping in me one position for so long. Instead, a kind of “eye-pad” made specially for the purpose fills the need admirably. These “eye-pads” are simply made, actually only strips of thin rubber sheeting, long enough and wide enough to cover the eyes. These are kept in place by elastic loops fitting around the ears. Small wads of cottonwool under these rubber covers will protect the eyes completely against the water. The first slight bewilderment that might occur can soon be overcome by making it mto a game, guessing “what is mummy doing now?” While on the subject of shampooing, another worth-while hint is the great improvement occasioned by placing a specially-made shampoo wrap around the shoulders. This has the added advantage of keeping the neck of the dress or shirt dry, thus saving a damp collar or spotted frock. This wrap is made from ordinary towelling about a yard square, with a circle cut out in the centre for the neck. . This bole should be neatly bound and a drawstring, run through.