BATH THERMOMETER
Colic. Colic, or a pain in the bowels, is indicated by a sharp, spasmodic cry, a drawing up of the legs, and a contraction of the muscles of the face and abdomen. The sufferer should be given a little warm water to drink and should have a soft, hot flannel placed over the abdomen and around the feet, or he should be laid on his stomach across a hot-water bag which is protected by a cloth covering.
Constipation. It is important that the mother who is nursing a baby should have a free movement of the bowels each day; if her bowels are kept open and her digestion is good, the baby will not, as a rule, be constipated. A little water given to the baby between feedings will help to prevent constipation. Fruit juices, such as prune and orange juice, should also be given. The most effective way of overcoming or preventing constipation is to develop the habit of having the bowels move at the same time each day. The baby should not be allowed to go more than twenty-four hours without a movement. Except in emergency, however, do not give the baby an enema or suppository or any medicine unless ordered to do so by a physician.
Enema. An enema of two to four ounces of warm water, to which has been added a little soapsuds and one or two tablespoonfuls of warm olive oil, will usually cause a movement of the bowels.
Directions for giving an enema. Place the baby on his back with a folded towel under his buttocks. A soft rubber catheter is safer to use than the hard rubber nozzle provided for this purpose. Allow the water to run freely through the catheter before inserting, so as to prevent injecting cold water and air into the rectum. Lift the baby’s feet with the left hand and with the right insert the oiled catheter gently into the rectum for two or three inches.
Diarrhea. A well baby usually has one or two movements a day. Frequent movements, or diarrhea, may be the beginning of a severe illness, and a physician should be consulted at once. This condition occurs more frequently with bottle-fed babies. If it occurs in a breast-fed baby, it is usually because the mother has not been careful about her diet or because the baby has been given improper food. To relieve this condition, if a physician is not at hand, give one teaspoonful of castor oil and omit the feeding in order to let the baby’s stomach rest.
Prevention of chafing. The skin of the baby is sensitive and may be easily irritated. For this reason the baby’s diaper should be removed as soon as soiled and the skin cleansed with warm water. The folds of the skin should be thoroughly dried and dusted with a little talcum powder, or olive oil may be applied, before the clean diaper is put on.
Colds. Common colds are contagious and in infants often lead to serious illness. A mother with a cold, when nursing her baby, should tie a handkerchief loosely over her nose and mouth in order to protect the child from infection if she should cough or sneeze. Many children’s diseases, such as whooping cough, measles, etc., are transmitted through the secretions of the nose and mouth. Any member of the family who has a cold should keep away from the children, and particularly from the baby.
