OUR BABIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2734, 12 February 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

OUR BABIES.

(By “IHygeia.”

Published under the auspices of the Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children.

ADDRESSES OF PLUNKET NURSES

AND SECRETAIUES

Wellington.—Plunket Nurse M‘Donald, 73 Aro street. Tel. 2425. Hon. sec., Mrs. M‘Vicar, 45 Majoribanks ’ street, City. Tel. 2624. Auckland. —Plunket Nurse Cliappel, Park street. Tel. 851. Office of Society, 2 Chancery street. Tel. 829. Office hours Tuesdays and Fridays, 2.20 to 4 p.m. Hon. sec., Mrs. W. H. Parlces, Mariuoto, Symonds street, Tel. 240. Napier. —Plunket Nurse Donald, Masonic Hotel. Tel. 87. Hon. sec., Mrs. E. A. W. Henley, P.O. Box 64. Tel. 147. Society’s Baby Hospital, Karitane Home, Anderson’s Bay, Dunedjn. Tel. 1955. Demonstrations on points or interest to mothers are given by the. matron every Wednesday afternoon from 2.30 to 3.30. All mothers invited. Messages may be left at any time at the Plunket Nurses’ Offices or private addresses. The Society's official sheot of instructions, written by Dr. Truby King, price 3d (postage tree), and all other information available from tho hon. secretary of each branch. PLUNKET NURSES’ SERVICES FREE.

SUMMER DIARRHCEA. If the precautions enumerated last week were taken there, would be very little risk of a baby getting diarrhoea. Simple practical instruction in all such precautions can be obtained from the Plunket nurse in places where there is one, and she will visit the home if asked. It is always necessary to he on the watch for any digestive disturbance. If prompt measures are taken the trouble generally passes off in a day or so. The following extracts from the Society’s pamphlet should help mothers to ward off an attack of indigestion and subsequent diarrhoea, and if an attack comes on they should aid them in dealing with it sensibly until assistance can be obtained. N.B. —In any case where a baby is suffering from illness a doctor should l>e consulted without delay. INDIGESTION AND. DIARRHCEA. If motions at an- time appear green when passed, or contain undigested food, this indicates that less humanised milk and more sugar of milk solution should be given. Indeed, it is safer to give sugar solution alone for one or 'more feeding. If the green motions are. accompanied by obvious indigestion and diarrhoea an instant change should invariably be made to pure boiled water for several meals, or, at most, the baby should be restricted to sugar solution; then skim milk whey and curdless milk may be used in succession, but the mother should be very cautious about resuming th e use of humanised milk for a day or two, lest she should bring on a relapse.

It is safest, at first, to boil any humanised milk used, adding this to the curdless milk in increasing proportions. The boiling may bo continued until the tendency to diarrhoea ceases. Maintain the milk near th e boil for at least ten minutes.* stirring all the time, or keeping the lid on to prevent a skin forming. In some forms of diarrhoea boiled humanised milk agrees better than curdless milk. If neither of these is tolerated skim milk Avliey may be used temporarily. HOW TO COMBAT ACTUAL ATTACK

OF DIARItHCEA. Ensure prompt cleansing of the boAvels by means of a dose of castor oil—say, from one to tAvo drachms, according to the age of the infant. The average requirement is an ordinary teaspoonful. Regimen for babies suffering from acute indigestion or from diarrhoea and vomiting resulting from improper feeding:— 1. I'or 12 hours —Water boiled. 2. For 12 hours —Sugar of milk solution. 3. For 12 hours or more —Skim milk whey. 4. For 12 hours or more—Curdlcss milk.

5. For 24 hours or more—Curdless milk Avith one-fifth of boiled humanised milk.

6. For 48 hours or more—Equal parts of curdless milk and boiled humanised milk.

Gradually and cautiously Avork up to pure humanised milk. The boiling of the humanised milk should be continued for a day or two after all evidence of a tendency to diarrhoea has ceased.

In nearly all cases the immediate cause of diarrhoea is careless artificial feeding, especially in Avarm weather. Infantile diarrhoea Avould rarely occur, even among bottle-fed babies, it mothers and nurses Avould pay strict attention to the folloAving points:—

PRECAUTIONS. 1. Feeding-Bottle.—No tube, perfect cleanliness. 2. Food. —Aveidance of cane-sugar, condensed milk, patent foods, etc. Scrupulous care in making and safeguarding humanised milk. Eternal Avatclifulness in Avarm weather, when microbes, rapidly accumulate in millions if given any opportunity. Milk or other fluid used as baby food must be kept as cool as possible. 3. Daily attention to the state of the bowels and the appearance of the motions. The danger signal is green color apparent in the stools at the time they are passed. Directly this is noticed put the baby on pure, boiled water or sugar of milk solution, as previously instructed; but if the first symptom is dealt Avith at once there is no need, as a rule, to continue the. restricted feeding so long as shown above. HoAvever, it is ahvays safer not to give the humanised milk full strength again for a Aveelc or more after distinct evidences of disturbed indigestion. A mixture of equal Rarts of humanised milk and curdless milk changing to tAvo of the former to one of the latter, may often bo continued Avith advantage for a Aveelc or more. Indigestion may bp. brought on by excess of cream, or by too ranch casein, or by giving the baby too much food. Such things should be noticed at once and corrected, to prevent their leading to dyspepsia o,r diarrhoea. .. Marked foulness should also attract attention.

• Some greenness of one or motions may occur from time to time without further manifestations of intestinal disturbance, but, as noted above, the symptom should always put the mother on her guard. A single meal of simple sugar solution, followed by dilution of the ordinary food 1 ' with some curdlcss milk, tends, in any case, to improve the digestion by giving relative rest. The* return of yellowness to the motions is one evidence of restoration to normal. A motion looking like chopped spinach usually calls for an immediate does of castor oil. If a baby happens to bo taking greypowder, calomel, or bismuth, tho motions; tend to be more or less green on account of the medicine. 4. A chill is often the exciting cause of diarrhoea; therefore, special attention should he paid 1 to having infants sufficiently clad at all times, hub not unduly muffled up. They are made very susceptible to cold by being too much indoors, by living in stuffy, unvontilated, over-warm rooms, and by wearing, too heavy clothing, especially when in the house. The question as to whether ordinarily strong children should have the legs and loot habitually clad after tlicy can walk and have become fairly active is one upon which there' is plenty of room for difference of opinion; but there is no question that all delicate infants beyond the stage of long clothes should have their legs and feet suitable clad. Undue or untimely and careless exposure will not harden an infant, but will render it delicate and prone, t'o catch . >2old. Quickness in bathing and in getting an infant dressed afterwards is of great importance. Many chills are due to dawdling at the bath. Plenty of fresh airland sunlight, proper food, regular feeding and regular habits are tho true means by which to ensure strength and hardiness.