Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 180, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1915 — BABY’S DANGER PERIOD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BABY’S DANGER PERIOD

ESPECIAL CARE REQUIRED PROM MAY TO OCTOBER. Thoughtful Mother May Do Much to Protect Infant From Summer lllneea Simple Rules That Must Be Observed. (Prepared by the Children’* Bureau, U. 8. Department of Labor.) From May to October the baby must be guarded with special care, if he is to escape the dangers which lurk about him in the hot days of summer. It is estimated that of the many thousands of babies who die every summer, principally in July and August, half might have been saved, since summer diarrhea may often be prevented with suitable care. It is caused, in a large number of cases, by mistakes in the method of feeding, or by using impure milk, or other unsuitable dangerous foods, or by overheating the baby with too. much clothing. The careful and thoughtful mother may do much, therefore, to protect her baby from this illness, by avoiding, as far as possible, its various causes. Throughout this series of articles, mothers have been urged to observe / certain simple rules for the health of the baby in summer. These rules require: 1. That the baby shall be fed on proper food in proper Quantities at proper intervals. 2. That he have no food between meals, but shall have plenty of pure, cool drinking water. 3. That he shall be kept as cool as possible by fresh air, plenty of baths, and very little clothing. • 4, That he shall be protected from 'flies and mosquitoes. If these rules are faithfully carried out many cases of summer diarrhea will be prevented. If, however, the disease appears, the city mother should at once consult her doctor, or,

if she has no physician, take her baby to the nearest infant welfare station, where competent physicians will advise her with regard care of the baby and trained nurses will assist her in carrying out his directions. It is of great importance to take the disease in its first stages, as a mild form of the disease readily becomes a serious one. In the country, where it is very difficult to get the advice of a doctor, the mother has a harder problem. Because she is out of the range of infant welfare stations, hospital*, and often of physicians as well, it is most important to prevent every attack of illness possible by careful attention to the baby’s food and general care, as already advised in these articles. If the baby is still at the breast, one or two nursings should be omitted, and only pure, cool water given in its place. Meanwhile the mother’s breasts should be pumped at each usual nursing time to prevent their drying up. Bottle-fed babies are much more likely to be the victims of summer diarrhea. When this happens, the bottle should be omitted for eight, twelve or twenty-four hours, according to the severity of the attack. Do not, however, keep food from the baby longer than twenty-four hours, except on the advice of a physician. When the bottle is resumed, the food should be much weaker than before; at least, half of the milk previously given should be substituted by water. The milk should be skimmed, and sugar should be omitted. The return to the former feeding should be made gradually, adding a little more milk each day, and beginning to add sugar. The more severe the attack has been, the more slowly should changes be made. If the baby is on “mixed” feeding, that is, partly breast and partly bot-tle-fed, the bottle feedings should b® omitted if diarrhea appears, tod the breast given once in four or five hours, with nothing but drinking water between meals. The Children's Bureau publishes a pamphlet called ‘lnfant Care," which, is sent free of charge to anyone send-* lng a request to the Chief of the Children’s Bureau, B. S, Department of Labor, Washington. This pamphlet contains some simple directions for the care of the babies in summer which may help the mother to prevent summer diarrheas tod other ailments, of infancy. *

A Healthy Summer Baby.