SPECIAL CARE OF THE BABY.
Baby will be sensitive to light, even the first day. Do not allow the sun to shine in his eyes, or gas or electric light if that must be used. The baby's skin may change to yellow for a few days, but this soon passes away and frequently there is scaling. The fine soft hair usually comes out and is replaced later by a second growth. The open spot on the head should not be touched. When the head is out of shape or is swollen, this need not cause worry for it will soon disappear. Mold it a little. Do not allow the baby to lie in one position, as the soft skull may become flattened or all the hair rubbed off in one place. The baby sleeps about nine-tenths of the time, but he should be wakened regularly for his food and kept awake while taking it. This will soon become a regular habit to him, and he will wake of his own accord in a short time. Do not allow the baby to fall asleep nursing at the breast or while taking food in his bottle. He will not get enough nourishment and will want to nurse too often. Also if he is bottle-fed the milk is apt to grow cold and cause colic. He should be taught to nurse slowly and if he tries to nurse too fast the breast or nipple should be taken away for a minute, and then given again. The baby should nurse from fifteen to twenty minutes. A certain amount of crying is necessary for a baby if he is to be strong and healthy. It exercises his lungs. "Soothing syrup" should never be given to quiet him.
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THE CRY-HOW TO DISTINGUISH IT.
The cry of pain is strong, sharp, but not continuous, often accompanied by contractions of the features and drawing up of the legs. The cry of hunger is a continuous, fretful sound, after feeding or sometime before the next feeding. The cry of temper is loud and strong, accompanied by kicking or stiffening of the body, and, this should never be given away to from the first. The cry of a sick child is feeble and whining. Baby should not be rocked to sleep, nor carried about the room.
Baby's First Meal.—He should be placed to the breast as soon as the mother can have him. He will not get much milk for the first few days, but he should be given the breast four or five times daily. He needs what is then secreted and it is also good for the mother to try to nurse as soon as possible. The baby may be given a few teaspoonfuls of boiled water between nursing, but no teas. At the third day the milk is usually established, and the baby should nurse regularly every two hours up to 10 p. m., and twice at night. He should not sleep in his mother's bed, but have his own crib and be taken to her at nursing time. There is danger of baby being smothered sleeping with its mother, and it will not sleep so well. As a rule it is best to wash baby's mouth out before nursing, and the mother's nipple should also be wiped off with a little boric acid solution.
Baby's Bed.—As before stated, baby should sleep in his own crib, an iron or brass crib without rockers is best. A screen or plain white curtain of some wash material may be used to protect him against draughts. If this cannot be had, he may sleep while very young in a large clothes basket placed on two chairs. The crib should have a good woven wire mattress and a pair of heavy airing blankets should be placed on top of the crib, folded so as to fit the mattress; a square of rubber or any waterproof material should come next, then a cotton sheet, a quilted pad, a second sheet, a pair of wool crib blankets and a light counterpane. This should be removed at night and a comfortable afghan be used in its place. The pillow should be of hair, never of feathers or down, about one inch thick. The bed clothes should be aired thoroughly and the heavy airing blanket be washed occasionally and thoroughly dried and aired before it is again used. The blanket can hang on a line out of doors on a bright sunny day for an hour or two; in this way the blanket will be kept cleaner and will last comfortably until baby is three years old. The baby should never be put in a cold bed; warm the sheets before the fire just before putting baby in his bed (or crib) or place a hot water bag between them until they are warm. Now (second month) the baby is old enough to use his chair, not to soil his napkin. Place a small chamber on the mother's lap and hold the child on it, supporting his head and back. Do this exactly the same hours every day, morning and afternoon, directly after a meal. This training should be continued, as the position alone often goes a great way in helping to over-come constipation or any tendency to irregularity of the bowels that may exist. They cannot be taught not to wet the napkin until they are some months older.
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The baby needs water as much as any adult person. Boil a fresh supply daily and cool and keep it in a covered dish or bottle. A little,—four to eight teaspoonfuls,—should be offered to the baby between each meal. It can be given from a spoon, a medicine dropper, or taken from a nursing bottle, and either hot or cold. This aids in overcoming constipation and teaches a breast-fed baby to use a nursing bottle, which will be of much benefit should sudden weaning be necessary.
During the second month his meals should be given every two and one-half hours during the day, having eight meals in twenty-four hours of three to four ounces at each meal. At night he should be fed at ten and two.
Meals for the Third Month.—Baby should be regularly nursed or fed every three hours up to ten p. m. Then have one meal at two or three a. m., and nothing more until seven a. m. If bottle fed he should be given three and one-half to four ounces at each feeding.
Fourth Month.—If the mother is nursing her baby, it is a good plan now to teach him how to use the bottle. Some doctors advise one bottle feeding each day from the start, for, should the mother's milk suddenly fail, or should she be obliged to stop nursing for any reason, there will be no struggle, which would be very hard for the baby if it happened in hot weather. Also the gradual accustoming of the digestive organs to the cow's milk before weaning must be commenced and does away in some degree, at least, with the danger from indigestion from the cow's milk given regularly.
Fifth Month.—Night feeding should now be discontinued; he should be taught to sleep from ten p. m. to seven a. m. There may be a few nights of crying and a struggle when the night feeding is first stopped, but he will soon learn to sleep without waking for his meal. He should be fed every three hours until ten p. m., and if bottle fed he should be given five to six and one-half ounces at each meal, making six meals in twenty-four hours.
Sixth Month.—The baby sleeps about two-thirds of the time. He shows signs of increasing intelligence. The baby should now accustom itself to taking either condensed milk or only the best prepared foods once or twice daily. The mother may become ill or unable to nurse for some reason, or wish to take a journey, etc., and baby is then prepared for emergencies.
When the baby is seven months old he will need more exercise than a clothes basket will afford. An exercise pen should be made.
Teeth.—As soon as the teeth come they should be kept clean, otherwise they will decay, milk is likely to remain in the mouth, turn sour and gradually destroy the enamel of the teeth.
With a soft linen cloth or a piece of absorbent cotton dipped in a solution of boric acid wash out the mouth and teeth, twice a day at least, carefully. A soft brush may be used later when baby has eight or ten teeth, and a little finely prepared chalk may be put on the brush, if there are any specks on the teeth. The baby should have three meals in twenty-four hours of six or seven ounces at each meal, if bottle-fed.
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Eighth Month.—Baby should be allowed to creep on the floor a little or in his pen. It is good exercise and it will benefit him, but he should not be urged to do it. Many mothers give baby potato, etc., at this period; this is bad, as potato is hard to digest on account of having so much starch. Bread and cakes are also prohibited; convulsions are often caused by such food. Milk gruel and broths are enough for the baby and he will thrive using them. Baby should feed every three hours up to ten p. m., six and one-half to seven and one-half ounces at each meal.
Mosquito Bites.—If baby is bitten by mosquitoes wash the spot off with a little camphor water, soda water, or a wet compress of witch-hazel should be kept on the bite or boracic acid or soda solution. Keep the baby from scratching the part by fixing his hands; scratching will further poison the part.
Flies.—They often carry germs of disease on their legs and wings, and they frequently light on baby's mouth or on the nipple of the nursing bottle. Diseases can be contracted in this way. The windows should be screened. Everything that the fly has touched should be washed with some light antiseptic solution.
Ninth Month.—His long morning nap should be encouraged and he should sleep in the early afternoon. If the baby is heavy his little moccasin or kid shoes will not now support his ankles and he should have a shoe with a piece of stiffening at the side. The shoe should have no heels; laced shoes fit better and should be preferred. The baby (bottle-fed) can take seven to eight ounces of the proper food every three hours until ten p. m.
Tenth Month.—He can now take a little beef juice, beginning with one teaspoonful once a day and soon twice a day; then increase to two teaspoonfuls at a time and keep on until he is taking eight teaspoonfuls daily.
This should be given between his regular meals. Some babies cannot take beef juice; orange juice may then be tried, strained through cheesecloth or fine muslin and be given at first in doses of one teaspoonful and increased until baby gets the juice of one-half an orange.
If the mother is nursing baby and he has been given one bottle of milk daily, as advised for a four-months-old babe, he can now have two bottle feedings daily. Every healthy baby should be weaned when one year old, and it is better to do it gradually in this way. The baby's food should now be given him every three and one-half hours up to ten p. m., thus making five meals in twenty-four hours of seven to eight ounces at each meal.
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Eleventh Month.—Baby can now have added to his diet another cereal like farina well cooked,—twice as long as the directions advise and it should be half solid when finished. Begin with one teaspoonful and then try two. This should be given in addition to his beef juice or orange juice. It should come between his regular meals, which should now be given at four-hour intervals. He should take eight or nine ounces to a meal.
Twelfth Month.—Baby should go to bed at six p. m., and take long morning nap. He should have five meals a day of such food as directed later.