- Basin of sterile water.
- 3 sterile towels.
- 12 small sponges.
- 6 cotton pledgets.
- 1 inch gauze bandage.
- Tube of 00 plain catgut with small needle.
- Needle holder.
- 2 small hemostats.
- Curved Kelly clamp.
- Sharp pointed curved scissors.
- Blunt dissector.
- Mouth tooth forceps.
Stand at Right:
- Large basin of sterile water.
For Baby:
| Brandy, 1 dram. | } | In sterile medicine glass with dropper. Used for anesthetic. |
| Sterile water, 6 drams. | ||
| Sugar, ½ dram. |
One nurse holds the baby by his knees with his hands under her arms. The second nurse begins the anesthetic, three minutes before doctor begins to operate, by dropping brandy and water on small piece of sterile cotton in gauze in baby’s mouth.
The genitals should be bathed and dried with care; inspected daily and any abnormality reported to the doctor. It is not uncommon for girl babies to have a slight bloody discharge from the vagina. This is unimportant and soon disappears, but a purulent discharge is likely to be an evidence of gonorrheal vaginitis. It is routine in many hospitals to retract the foreskin of male babies every morning at the time of the bath by rubbing it back with gauze or cotton, taking pains that it is again pulled forward into the original position after the part underneath has been bathed with boracic acid solution. If retraction is impossible after several successive daily attempts, the baby is not infrequently circumcised. (Figs. [155], [156].)
Fig. 156.—Baby in Fig. [155] draped with sterile sheet.
When the entire body, including creases and folds, has been patted quite dry, it may be dusted with an unscented talcum powder, but this powdering must not be resorted to as an aid in drying the skin. In order to prevent chafing, the buttocks and thighs should be wiped clean with oil or bathed with warm water, no soap, patted dry and powdered or oiled each time that the diaper is changed.