—Secretion accumulating in the corners of a baby's eyes should be removed by means of a bit of absorbent cotton moistened in boiled water. The secretion should be wiped away gently; a different piece of cotton should be used for each eye, and a piece that has been used should not be put back into the water. Further than this, eyes in a normal condition do not need cleansing.
Every person who handles a baby should be very sure that her hands are clean; she should be doubly sure before she touches his eyes, since a baby's eyes are peculiarly susceptible to infection from any source. More than a quarter of all totally blind persons in the United States became blind by infection of the eyes at birth. Blindness of the new born can be prevented in practically all cases if the doctor uses a preparation of silver in the baby's eyes immediately after birth. This treatment is effective and entirely safe.
If at any time the eyelids look red or swollen, or if a drop of matter appears between the lids, the physician should be summoned at once. Total
blindness may result if treatment is delayed even a few hours.
Mouth.
—The mouth should be rinsed after feeding by giving the baby a teaspoonful of boiled water. Until the teeth come it does not require other cleansing, and attempts to clean it may injure the delicate membranes that line it. Indeed, except in an emergency, fingers should not be inserted into a baby's mouth. The teeth when they appear should be cleaned by means of a soft tooth-brush.
Nostrils.
—The nostrils need no cleaning other than removal of mucus that can easily be reached by means of a piece of cotton. If a little vaseline is placed in the nostrils on a small piece of absorbent cotton in the early morning, collections of mucus will usually be softened so that they can be removed easily at bath time.
Genital Organs.
—The genital organs of girl babies should be gently washed twice a day, using absorbent cotton, and tepid water. Treatment other than cleanliness is ordinarily unnecessary. Vaseline may be applied if the genitals are slightly reddened; any discharge or abnormal appearance should be reported to the doctor. In the case of boy babies the foreskin should be gently drawn back twice a week after immersion in the tub; after the parts have been gently washed with