General Treatment.- Retention of the meconium is sometimes due to imperfection in the passage; and the doctor should be asked to ascertain whether this is the case or not. If the passages are right a few teaspoonfuls of warm sugar and water will generally be enough to cause an evacuation. Purgatives must never be given; but if the above measures do not prove sufficient, help will be obtained from the following medicines.
Medicines.–(One or two doses at a few hours’ interval until the effect is produced. This may be given to both mother and child when the child is at the breast.)
Nux v. 3.
–Should be given first.
Sulph. 6.-
-After Nux vomica, if necessary.
Bryonia 3.
–If these prove insufficient.
Milk-Crust.–An eruption of numerous small white pustules appearing in clusters on a red ground. They generally appear first on the face, especially cheeks and forehead, whence they sometimes spread over the entire body. In a short time they become darker in colour, burst, and form thin yellow crusts. There is often much redness, swelling, and itching, which renders the child exceedingly restless and fretful, and causes it to rub the affected part constantly, by which the scabs are rubbed off, and the disease is aggravated.
General Treatment.–Only soft water or distilled water should be used to wash the affected parts with. When the crust becomes thick, it should be removed with a linseed poultice. Once a day the part should be washed with a weak infusion of Viola tricolor. (The dried plant may be obtained at the druggist’s, and the infusion or “tea” made of it at home.) The child should be allowed no sweet things, and if it is nursed, the nurse should eat no sweets or pastry; she should also eat little meat, but may have a good supply of fresh vegetables and milk.
Medicines.–(Two or three times a day.)
Viola tricolor 3.
–This is the most generally useful remedy. It should be given internally when the infusion is used locally.
Other remedies may be given intercurrently as indicated.
Rhus 3.
–Redness and inflammation no subdued by Viola. t. (Rhus sometimes causes aggravation of the symptoms. When this occurs, the medicine must be left off, and, as a rule, improvement will quickly follow. No more medicine must then be given until the improvement ceases, when Rhus may be repeated until improvement again sets in.)
Sulph. 6.
–After Rhus, when the latter ceases to benefit.
Arsenicum 3.
–When there are excessive discharges, or when ulcers form.
Hepar 6.
–Disease extending to nose, face, and neck, or when the eyes and eyelids are inflamed.
Calcarea c. 6.
–In fat, lymphatic, fair children, when the disease is protracted.
Lycopodium 6.
–When there is constipation.
Restlessness and Wakefulness.–The causes of restlessness in infants are: improper feeding–giving either improper food or too much or too little; improper feeding on the part of the mother–indulgence in coffee, wine, rich or spiced food; improper dressing of the child, and especially if pins are used; want of cleanliness. It may also be due to inflammation, as of the ear, or to the sufferings of teething. Care must be taken to discover if there is any disease present which will require special treatment.
General Treatment.–The causes named above must be carefully guarded against. The child must be fed at regular times, and carefully washed and dressed. It must not have its head raised, but lie with it low. Medicines.–(Every four hours; shortly before the hours of rest are the best times.)
Aconite 3.–Restlessness, with hot, dry skin.
Coffea 3.–After Aconite.
Opium 3.–When there is redness of the face.
Chamomilla 6.–Flatulence, gripings; starting, and jerkings of the limbs; feverishness, with redness of one cheek.
Belladonna 3.–Child appears drowsy, but cannot sleep, or falls asleep for a few moments and starts up suddenly and cries.
Pulsatilla 3.–From overloading the stomach.
Nux v. 3.–From indulgence in coffee or spirituous liquors on the part of the mother.
Rupture.–Protrusion of a part of the bowel through the inner abdominal wall, causing a projection under the skin. This is found in two places–the groin and at the navel. Both are common in infants. The causes are, unnatural weakness of the walls of the body, improper care of the navel, and improper dressing, especially by tight swaddling bands.
Navel Rupture (Umbilical Hernia).–This is recognised by an unnatural protrusion of the navel.
Diagnosis.–In infant boys there are two conditions which are apt to be mistaken for rupture of the groin –Hydrocele of the spermatic cord and undescended testicle. The last is excluded if the testicle is found in its place in the scrotum. Hydrocele, a localised dropsical swelling in the cord, may form a protrusion in the groin just where rupture occurs; but this always remains in the same place and does not disappear altogether as protrusion of the bowel does when it is put back in its place.
General Treatment.–Navel Rupture.–The skin must be drawn up over the swelling from both sides, and two rather broad strips of strapping drawn over the part cross-wise (the strips crossing each other over the swelling) so as to hold the skin in that position.
This will prevent any protrusion, and, the strain being removed, the opening will contract.
Groin Rupture (Inguinal Hernia.)–The treatment for this is support by means of a truss. If the rupture is only small and the child can be kept from crying or straining, it may be remedied without having recourse to a truss. Homoeopathic remedies can do much to assist the cure.
Medicines.
Nux v. 3.–Night and morning.
Lycopodium 6.–Especially if on right side.
Aurum 6.–Navel rupture.
Scurf on Head.–Some children have a dirty-looking crust formed on the head, usually beginning at the top. Under the crust the surface is red and inflamed. It may be due to want of cleanliness or to keeping the child too warm. It is however, frequently seen in children who are carefully and regularly washed.
General Treatment.–Rub the part affected with lard at night and wash in the morning with a weak solution of soda.
Medicine.
Sulph. 6.
–Night and morning.
Snuffles.–This is a common affection in children. It is a kind of catarrh or “cold” in the head, but it is not always due to catching cold. It gives great annoyance to the child, and prevents sucking.
Medicines.–(Night and morning.)
Nux. v. 3.
–In general.
Chamomilla 6.
–With much running of water from the nose.
Carbo vegetabilis 6
Mercurius sol. 6.
–Sneezing and thickish discharge.
Antim tart. 3.
–When there is rattling in the throat, worse at night, as well as running from the nose.
Spasms or Convulsions.–Infants and children are much more liable to convulsions than persons in adult life. These are, therefore, of less significance in early life than when they occur later. But at any time they are a serious occurrence, and, whenever possible, medical aid should be sought without delay. They may occur in all degrees, from spasmodic twitching of the muscles of the eyes and face, or of the fingers and toes, and the thumb being pressed into the palm, or they may be general, the whole body being thrown into spasms. The commonest causes are disorders of the stomach and bowels, and the irritation of dentition.
General Treatment.–If no doctor is at hand, put the child’s legs into water as hot as can be borne, and let them remain for five or ten minutes until the fit seems to be going off; then let them be wiped perfectly dry and wrapped in a warm wrapper. If the first immersion is followed by no relief, or a second attack speedily follows, it should be repeated, and cold water applied to the child’s head at the same time. This may be repeated several times.
If the cause is known and removable, measures must be taken to remove it. If it is due to eating indigestible food, such as unripe fruit, an emetic or an enema of warm water must be given.
Medicines.–(To be given just as the fit is going off, if it is short. If it lasts long, or if the patient goes out of one fit into another, to be given immediately, and repeated every ten minutes until it has a decided effect, and then less often.
Chamomilla6.
–Convulsive jerking of the limbs; twitching of muscles of the face and eyelids, with constant motion of the head from side to side, followed by drowsiness, with the eyes half closed, and loss of consciousness; redness of one cheek and paleness of the other; constant moaning and craving for drink.
Belladonna 3.
–Child starts suddenly when asleep, or stares about wildly; pupils dilated; stiffness of one or more of the limbs or of the whole body; dryness and burning heat of forehead and palms of the hands; involuntary discharge of urine after the return of consciousness; slightest touch sometimes provokes a new fit; fit sometimes preceded by smiles and laughter.
Ignat. 3.
–Sudden and violent starting from a light sleep with loud screaming and trembling of the whole body; when the muscles of single limbs are convulsed, and there is an occasional spasm of a muscle here and there in different parts of the body; when the fit returns every day at the same hour, or every other day about the same hour, and is followed by fever and perspiration.
