ESTABLISHING TOILET HABITS
When baby reaches the age of three months, a regular systemized effort should be made to educate it to "habits of cleanliness." Nothing can be done in this direction previous to this age, as a child at that period of its life is scarcely conscious of the natural functions of its body. Each time a baby, after the third month, is making an effort to move its bowels, the nurse or mother should go to it as it lies in its crib, and talk to it by making a certain sound or say a certain word—whichever word or words you want to educate your child to say, when it wants to move its bowels. By constant attention and effort in this direction, a child with quick perception and initiative will soon associate the sound and the function, and it will begin to make the sound when the function is about to be performed. As soon as it begins to make this sound, if prior to the act of moving the bowels, the child should be immediately taken up and held on a chamber, into which some hot water has been put, and encouraged to relieve itself, the nurse or mother still repeating the sound, or word, or words.
Having successfully accomplished this programme a number of times, the child should be encouraged and petted every time it gives a satisfactory warning, and discouraged and reproved every time it wets or soils its napkin. A little later, say about six months, the child should be held on the chamber at a certain time each morning and evening, thus encouraging it to move its bowels regularly twice daily. The careful carrying out of a scheme such as the above will establish regular, cleanly habits, and will to a very large extent guard against constipation in the future.
Baby's Comforter.—The discovery and introduction of the comforter or rubber teat was an unfortunate episode in someone's life. By the careless, conscienceless nurse, or thoughtless mother, it is regarded as a real comfort and blessing. Any temporary comfort, however, which the nurse or mother may enjoy as a result of its use, is at the expense of the health of the child. Its use is a serious reflection upon the good intention and intelligence of the mother who permits her child to use one. It is a bad habit from every viewpoint possible. In order that mothers, open to conviction and capable of reasoning, may appreciate the character of the harm done by the use of the comforter, we will briefly record these conditions:
1st. The constant sucking pulls upon the delicate structures of the mouth and throat, and so impairs the health tone of these structures that they become flaccid and feebly nourished. This to a certain degree causes adenoids, enlarged tonsils, loose palate and weak throat, with the constant tendency to winter colds and coughs, and to catarrh.
2nd. It causes an excessive flow of saliva. Saliva should only be stimulated previous to stomach digestion. By causing an excessive flow of saliva into an empty stomach, the digestive powers are interfered with, and seriously weakened. Stomach trouble, and consequently intestinal disease, may therefore be caused by the seemingly innocent comforter.
3rd. A constantly used comforter always causes disease of the mouth. Mucous erosions, canker sores, little ulcers, etc., are produced in this way.
4th. The use of the comforter makes it impossible to put the child to sleep, or even to leave it alone, without first placing it in its mouth.
5th. To stifle a baby's cry, by pushing the comforter into its mouth, is as bad as giving it chloroform to mask a serious and dangerous pain. If may have a just reason for crying, as is explained elsewhere, and if that reason is not searched for and found, it may mean serious trouble later.
6th. Actual deformities of the mouth are produced by constant use of the comforter. The continuous sucking affects the gums, pushes them out of shape and position, and the teeth as a consequence come at wrong angles, thus causing unsightly deformities, which last throughout the life of the child.