May Bliss Dickinson

“ Dust is brought into the home on shoes and clothing, and is blown in from the outside. Dust must be kept under control by the use of a vacuum cleaner, a carpet sweeper, or a damp broom, and by good ventilation. Children should not be allowed to remain in rooms that are being swept, for dust causes an irritation of the eyes, nose, and [26] throat and also is frequently a carrier of disease germs. The dusting of furniture should be done with a damp cloth. This will wipe off the dust and not stir it up into the air where it will be inhaled or will settle again. ”

“ The body. It is best to wash the baby’s entire body with warm water and soap before placing him in the tub. The bath in the tub is for rinsing off the soap and for exercise. He should be turned over so that his chest will rest on the mother’s forearm while his feet touch the bottom of the tub. Teach the baby to like the bath, and he will not be frightened. He should not stay in the water more than two or three minutes, and when lifted out should be wrapped in a soft, warm bath towel. He should be dried quickly by gently patting the skin with soft towels, not by wiping. ”

“ Baby’s stomach. The infant generally takes more fluid at each feeding than the stomach can hold at one time. Almost as soon as the milk is swallowed it begins to pass into the intestines. Breast milk is digested and passed on more rapidly than cow’s milk.
Mixed feedings. When the mother’s milk is of good quality, but is not sufficient in quantity to satisfy the baby, it is necessary to give him additional food. This is done by giving alternate feedings of the breast milk and modified milk. Mixed feedings should always be given under the doctor’s directions. ”

“ It is important that the mother who is nursing a baby should have a free movement of the bowels each day; if her bowels are kept open and her digestion is good, the baby will not, as a rule, be constipated. A little water given to the baby between feedings will help to prevent constipation. Fruit juices, such as prune and orange juice, should also be given. The most effective way of overcoming or preventing constipation is to develop the habit of having the bowels move at the same time each day. ”

“ Every bit of breast milk helps the baby, because it tends to make the digestion of artificial food easier.
Advice to nursing mothers. Keep yourself well. As long as you are well the [42] baby will keep well. Even though you have but little milk at first, do not get discouraged; be patient and persevering. You should have lunches of milk and gruel—one in the middle of the morning, one in the afternoon, and another at bedtime. Remember that an active, cheerful mind is an important factor in good health. Nothing upsets a baby more quickly than a nervous, irritable mother.
Diet of a nursing woman. ”

“ What do you mean by personal hygiene? What do you mean by home sanitation? Give three reasons why a mother should nurse her baby. If a baby must be bottle fed, what is the best substitute for breast milk, and who should direct how the food be prepared? If a baby is bottle fed, how would you care for its milk? What can you do to help save the babies? ”

“ Under no circumstances should anyone kiss a baby on the mouth. Common colds, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, and many other diseases are transmitted in this way. Remember that disease may be present in the secretions of the mouth and nose and on the lips.
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Crying. A well baby never cries without cause. Normal crying is loud and forceful, and the mother will soon learn to distinguish it from the cry of pain, hunger, or discomfort. A baby has no other way of expressing his needs—therefore his cry should be heeded. ”

“ The healthy baby should be weaned from the breast between the ninth and the eleventh month. Every baby ought to be weaned entirely at the age of one year, but it is better not to [43] wean him during the summer. If a baby has been taught to take water from a spoon or cup, there will be no trouble at the weaning period in having him take his milk from a cup. Weaning should take place gradually. During the process the mother should take less liquids and usually some laxative to produce free movements of the bowels.
Weigh the baby. The baby should be weighed once a week. ”

“ In the night it should be changed when the baby is taken up for feeding or if he is restless.
All diapers should be washed each time after they become wet. The soap used in washing them should be carefully rinsed out, and they should be boiled thoroughly at least twice a week. A careless soaking and wringing through one or two waters is not an adequate cleansing. Care must be taken in selecting the soap to be used [76] in washing the diapers, since some soaps will cause an irritation of the skin, even when the clothing has been well rinsed. ”

“ When a baby cries from temper let him cry it out. The struggle will not be long, because he will soon learn that this crying is useless.
Cry due to illness or fright. The cry of most forms of illness is low, moaning, and fretful. The cry of fright is sudden and loud. The child should be taken up, comforted, and put down again as soon as he is quieted. In all cases of persistent crying the doctor should be called if the mother does not succeed in her attempts at quieting. ”

“ If the baby is nursing from the right breast, he should be held on the right arm, and the mother’s left hand should press the breast away from the baby’s nose.
Length of nursing time. The baby should not nurse more than ten minutes at first nor more than twenty minutes at any time. He should not be allowed to fall asleep while nursing nor be permitted to take his meal too rapidly, as this latter may cause him to hiccup. If a baby nurses too rapidly, withdraw the nipple [41] from his mouth for a few seconds. ”

“ The condition of plants in the house is a good test of home sanitation. If the leaves drop off, probably the rooms are overheated and the air too dry. There is some truth in the saying, “Where plants will not grow, people ought not to live.” The breathing of impure air causes a feeling of discomfort; the habitual breathing of bad air causes headache and lessens the resistance of the body to disease.
Impurities of air in homes. Many conditions may help cause bad air in our homes ”

“ At six months the average child requires twenty-four ounces of milk daily, which should be diluted with twelve ounces of water. To this should be added two ounces of limewater and three even tablespoons of sugar. This should be given in five feedings. The amount of milk should be increased by one-half ounce every week. The milk should be increased only if the child is hungry and digesting his food well. It should not be increased unless he is hungry, nor if he is suffering from indigestion, even though he seems hungry. ”

“ Dental floss should be used between the teeth. Coarse food which requires much chewing [10] strengthens the teeth and is excellent for the digestion.
It is well to use a simple mouth wash of one-half teaspoonful of soda or salt in a glass of tepid water. Have the dentist clean the teeth twice a year; do not wait until the teeth ache before going to the dentist.
Food
Food is that which supplies nourishment to our bodies. Although many elements enter into the composition of what we eat, food is roughly divided into three classes: proteids, carbohydrates, and fats. ”

“ If possible, a tenement or house should be so situated as to secure good air, sunshine, good drainage, and good neighbors. A house with a southerly exposure or placed with its corners to the points of the compass has a distinct hygienic value and is always to be preferred, because it gets the sun in each room at some time during the day.
Sunshine. Abundant sunshine and light in the home are of great importance, and help to make the home healthful and more cheerful. People living in rooms which have no sun become pale and gradually lose strength. ”

“ The purity of the water that is used in the household, whether it comes from a public water supply or from a well in the country, is a question of great importance. Every housewife should know the source from which the water used in her household comes. ”

“ Convulsions. Anything which upsets the baby’s nervous system may interfere with the process of digestion. This, as [94] well as improper food, constipation, or some acute illness may be the cause of convulsions. When in a convulsion, the baby loses consciousness, the legs and arms stiffen, and the facial muscles begin to twitch. Send for a doctor at once. Meanwhile the baby should be placed in a tub of warm water. If a thermometer is not at hand, some adult should always test the temperature by placing her arm, up to the elbow, in the water. ”

“ For the first few weeks the baby’s scalp should be washed at the time of the bath. If yellow scales form, rub warm olive oil or vaseline into the scalp at night, and in the morning wash it with warm water and pure castile soap, rinsing thoroughly. If the scales do not come off, repeat the operation as many times as necessary. ”

“ When washed it should be dried out of doors in the sunshine. If the material used in the crib mattress is excelsior, it should be made as smooth as possible, with a soft pad placed on top of it. Curled [35] hair is more expensive, but is light, cool, and easily cleansed. The crib mattress should always be protected by a piece of rubber sheeting covered with a soft pad. The baby’s bed should be raised at least twelve inches from the floor to escape drafts.
Pillows. The baby’s head should not be elevated, as he will take more air into his lungs when no pillow is used. ”

“ The best way to secure sound, healthy teeth in a baby is for the mother during her girlhood to see that her own teeth are in good condition and to keep well and happy, because it is then that the foundations of health for life are established. ”

“ We should stand correctly in order that the organs of the body—heart, lungs, stomach, liver, and kidneys—may have room and be in position to do their work well. We should stand erect, chin in, chest high, abdomen flat, and with the weight of the body resting on the balls of the feet. ”

“ The flat taste which often results from the boiling may be remedied by shaking the water in a bottle or pouring it from one clean pitcher to another or by simply exposing it to the air overnight. Water should be kept cool, and should be protected from dust. ”

“ To make limewater, add one teaspoonful of unslaked lime to one quart of cool, boiled water. Pour into a bottle and shake thoroughly. Let it stand twenty-four hours; pour off the clear fluid at the top and strain. Keep in a cool place.
Barley water. Mix two teaspoonfuls of barley flour with a little cold water, then add one quart of water and boil twenty minutes in a double boiler. Strain through a very fine sieve and add enough boiled water to make one quart.
Rice water. Rice water is made in the same way as barley water, but only one teaspoonful of rice is used to one quart of water. ”

“ The baby should not be allowed to go more than twenty-four hours without a movement. Except in emergency, however, do not give the baby an enema or suppository or any medicine unless ordered to do so by a physician.
Enema. An enema of two to four ounces of warm water, to which has been added a little soapsuds and one or two [97] tablespoonfuls of warm olive oil, will usually cause a movement of the bowels.
Directions for giving an enema. Place the baby on his back with a folded towel under his buttocks. ”

“ In walking the weight of the body should be thrown well forward.
It is correct to let the heel touch the ground first, but the weight should very quickly be transferred to the ball of the foot. The correct position of the feet is with the toes pointed straight forward. This straight-foot position is characteristic of our best athletes, our native Indians, and others who are noted for great endurance in running and walking. ”

“ A vaccinated child should have a bath and a change of underwear daily, but it is important that the dressing over the vaccination should be kept clean and dry. The child should not be permitted to play in gardens, stables, or dusty streets until the arm has completely healed. ”

“ A bath thermometer A large flannel bath apron Two basins of warm water Two soft washcloths Two large soft towels [31] Olive-oil soap or pure castile soap Pure talcum powder Two per cent boric-acid solution Absorbent cotton
The toilet articles should be kept on a white enamel tray, which is easy to clean. After everything is prepared for the bath the fresh clothing should be warmed. The mother puts on her apron and takes the baby in her lap; she then undresses him and wraps him in the bath apron. ”

“ Baby shirts come in several sizes and weights. It is well to begin with the second size, as the first size is so soon outgrown. They should be high-necked, long-sleeved, and should open all the way down the front. Silk and wool is the best material because it is light in weight and wears well. ”

“ The meals should be simple and nutritious and should include a large amount of liquid. Milk, cereals, eggs, and soups should form the principal part of the diet. Some of the foods to be avoided by a nursing woman are cabbage, onions, garlic, and sour fruits. ”