OUR BABIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4004, 10 August 1915, Page 3

OUR BABIES.

i WATER (Continued). j Recently 1 dealt with the need of > ensuring that tire baby has enougn | water, and showed the supremo im- ! portauce of changing at once to pure boiled water without a trace of food when an infant gets an attack of diarrhoea or vomiting. WARNING. I mentioned that a baby as often i cries because it is thirsty as because it is hungry, and that when it cries bej tween meals water is all that should j be.given. j However, I wish to warn mothers ; and nurses against, getting a baby int-o the way of taking too much water —a bad habit whi h may be acquired quite easily. Tim fact is that m ordinary weather the mother’s milk, or humanised milk, should supply all the fluid a -baby needs. A little plain boiled water may be given, in addition, if there is a tendency to constipation or if baby seems obviously thirsty—especia’ly in warm weather. Indeed, in very warm weather it is a wise precaution to give a little less than the ordinary allowance of food and to give more water . than at other times. Thirst often makes babies peevish and fretful on specially warm days, and the mother should ho <>n the look-out for this. WATER : EXTERNAL APPLICATION. _ Dealing with the hathine of the infant, Professor Botch, of Harvard University, said: — Unless there is some definite contrary indication, an infant should bo bathed every morning. The contra-indications arc it" the skin or nails turn blue, or if the infant seems in any way to show symptoms of weakness or lowered vitality after bathing, such _as are represented by cold extremities and nose, or an unusually quickened respiration. In these cases rank* sponging, merely sufficient to> cleanliness, is to bo substituted fen the hath. WHERE AND HOW TO BATH BABY. Bathing should be done with colerity, the tub being placed on the side of the fireplace opposite from the window, and fronting the lat ter, so as to avoid draughts and ensure good light. The nurse should sit with her face to the light and have the infant on her lap wrapped up in a blanket, with its foot to wards the fireplace, and its head in such a position as regards the win dow as to avoid having too much light in its eyes. There should he a rack for the towels, which should be kept warm in front of the fire while the infant is being bathed. The clothes should in like manner be neatly spread oul on another rack, ready to put on as soon as the infant has been dried TEMPERATURE OF BATH. The water should vary irt its temperature somewhat with the age ol the infant, hut should never be so cold as to cause blueness or cold extremities. We must also be ea red idnot to have the water too hot. as this is also injurious, A convenient oath thermometer is one which is guarded from breaking by a wooden frame, which also al lows it to float in the water, and the nurse is -thus enabled to see a a glance that the bath water is ol the right heat. tic The temperature recommended r<n the hath during the first- few weeks m life is from 98deg to 100 deg I‘ ahr. WHEN TO BEGIN USING BO Hi HOT AND COLD WATER. At a year old (or even earlier it a baby is specially robust and active) it is a good plan to wipe or douche tlm skin Tit'n a “sponging cloth.” commencing tvith water at between lOdeg and P-Och'g. and reducing the heat by a decree "everv few days until a t mine ratlire of between o'Odeg an 60dc? is reached-. This should ho begun while the baby is sitting in the warm hath, next the lower limbs can be qinckl> dealt with in- the same way, Inns securing an active, healthy stimulation of the whole surface. ... , . ff'his change from stimulation by heat- to stimulation by cold is very healthful, and promotes not only the activity but the growth of the organs. Indeed, the stimulation effected by such bathing has been happily described by an American physician as the s]K>eiiil •’gymnastics <>t the involuntary muscular system" ; in otne. v.-orus the training of the myriads ot muscles which supply motor power to the whole vital machinery, including the heart and the blood vessels besides the muscles concerned in breathing an in the churning movements, needed for digesting food. The' effect of keeping those various I muscles in good form is very sinking. I anc ] it will he found in tne case ot | babies, just as in adults, that wo can i irradualiv harden the organism until it i becomes very robust- and resistive ot I chills and colds. - - On the other hand, nothing is tnoie I wrong than the attempt to harden ' children suddenly. If a. child docs not 1 show a proper healthy reaction arte ! the application of cool water its use I should be discontinued. At first the ! cooling should ho quite momentary j and should be limited to a small pait ! of the bodv : it should bo followed al | ways by very rapid drying and dress- • i n o*. " COLD BATHING. When a child can run aoout actively a. transition may be made gradually to the cold plunge bath which health children can be trained to on.|oy at from 18 months to two years of at. Never dawdle, dress quickly, ana never omit to ensure active exoicis for at least a quarter of an hour■ immediately after dressing to establish l perfect reaction and warmth.