Four dozen safety-pins in assorted sizes.
A roll of old soft towels.
Soft wash-cloths and squares of sterile gauze to be thrown away after using.
Talcum powder.
Castile or Ivory soap.
Very soft hair-brush.
Small bottle of olive oil.
Two-ounce bottle of boric acid.
Every item mentioned in these preparations for the baby’s birth is important, as it bears directly upon sanitation, the comfort of the mother, and the safety of the child. This is no hour in which to take chances through false economy or procrastination.
Directly after the child is born and the navel cord has been tied, either the nurse or doctor should give attention to the baby’s eyes. Science has proved that a large proportion of blindness is preventable, if prompt care is given to the eyes of new-born children. Hundreds of children are blind from birth through infection which might have been prevented.