Constipation is sometimes entirely cured by nothing more than a suitable dietary; an abundance of drinking water; an out-of-door life; massage, and above all, the unceasing effort to establish a regular habit. These are all things which you, yourself, may do for the baby. The longer constipation persists, the harder it is to cure, so do all in your power to prevent it and if it develops, try to end it at once.
Convulsions are a symptom of several disorders of infancy and they may occur unexpectedly. Although at the moment, they are more distressing than serious, you should notify your doctor at once. If he cannot come promptly you may end the seizure by employing measures that will quiet and relax the struggling baby. The room should be darkened, kept absolutely quiet and the baby handled with the utmost gentleness. As a rule the most satisfactory course is to immerse the baby in water at 100° F. and keep him there for five or ten minutes, supporting his head above the level of the water as shown in Fig. [60]. (See p. [209].) Have some member of the household place cloths, wrung from cold or iced water, on the baby’s head and change them frequently. When removed from the bath, the baby should be wrapped in a blanket, kept very quiet and the cold applications to his head continued.
If the baby often has convulsions the doctor may instruct you to give him either a mustard bath or pack whenever he has an attack.
For a bath, one ounce, or six level tablespoonfuls of dry mustard is added to one gallon of water at 105° F. and the baby kept in it for about ten minutes, or until the skin is well reddened. He is then wrapped in a warm blanket and surrounded by hot water bottles, with cold compresses applied to his head. The mustard pack is given in the manner shown in Figs. [61] and 62, with a sheet wrung from mustard water which is possibly a little warmer and stronger than that for the bath, care being taken that the sheet is not cooled before it is wrapped about the baby. He is usually left in the pack for about ten minutes or until his skin is reddened, and then wrapped in warm blankets, with cold compresses to his head.
THE PREMATURE BABY
All of the precautions and gentleness which are necessary in the care of the normal baby, born at term, must be greatly increased in caring for the baby who is born prematurely. The premature baby is not only small, but in general is imperfectly developed, having slenderer powers than the full term baby, and at the same time much greater needs. His respiratory and digestive organs are less ready to act than those of the normal baby; his muscles and nerves are feeble; his heat-producing machinery is unstable and yet he loses an excessive amount of body heat.
Accordingly, the baby who has been deprived of those valuable last weeks of growth and development within the uterus, is small and limp; lies quietly most of the time; moves very feebly, if at all, and needs special care. To help him in maintaining a normal body temperature it is usually necessary for him to be oiled with warm olive oil and entirely wrapped in cotton batting or flannel or enveloped in a quilted garment, with hood attached, made of cheesecloth or flannel and cotton batting, such as is shown in Fig. [65]. Diapers are often omitted in caring for very feeble babies, a pad of cotton, instead, being slipped under the buttocks, as this may be changed with less disturbance to the baby than a diaper.
A satisfactory bed may be devised from a basket or box with the bottom well padded with several inches of cotton, a small pillow or a soft blanket folded to the proper size, covered with rubber or oiled muslin and a cotton sheet. The sides of the basket may be lined with heavy quilted material, to shut out drafts and help to preserve an even temperature of the air immediately around the baby, or such a basket as is shown in Fig. [66] may be used. A flannel covered hot water bag at 110° F. may be placed beside the baby, or two, three or four glass bottles, each holding about a pint, containing water at 100° F. and securely stoppered, may be hung in the corners of the basket. A thermometer, also, should hang in the basket and the temperature kept between 80° F. and 90° F. The temperature varies less if the bottles are filled in rotation than if all are reheated at the same time.
Fig. 65.—Quilted robe, with hood, for the premature baby. It may be made of flannel or cheesecloth with cotton batting for the padding.