Immediately after being dressed, the infant should be laid in its mother’s bosom, and not placed by itself in a cradle, where it is in danger of being too cold. For the first few days it should sleep in the bed with its mother, especially during cold weather; afterwards, in a cradle or cot.
Milk in the Breasts the First Day:
Some nurses say that until the third day after labour the breasts contain no milk, and that gruel or some other food is necessary. In the great majority of cases, sufficient milk for the infant is present on the first day, and the only thing necessary is to apply the child’s mouth to the nipple, which acts as the natural stimulus for hastening the supply. But if, after repeated attempts, in eight or nine hours, there be no breast- milk drawn, the only substitute required, till the supply be fairly established, is cow’s milk, diluted with warm water (two- thirds milk to one-third warm water), without the addition of sugar. The milk should not be boiled, nor should the water be too hot, lest the milk be rendered less digestible. The administration of any kind of farinaceous food, sugar, or butter to the new-born infant is not only unnecessary, but is likely to prove very hurtful.
V. Washing and Bathing.
Cleanliness is of great importance to the healthy growth of children. An infant in health should have a warm bath morning and evening. The best method is to dip the baby into the bath, while the head is supported by the hand and arm of the nurse, and then have the whole surface of the skin rapidly rubbed with a soft soaped sponge or piece of flannel; next again immerse the body in a bath, and then quickly and thoroughly dry with a fine warm towel.
Cold Water Bathing:
During warm weather, tepid bathing should not be continued beyond one or two months, after which it should gradually give place to cold. Feeble infants may require tepid bathing somewhat longer. For children born in the winter, the lukewarm bath may be continued till the return of warm weather, when the change to cold should be made. Except as above stated, warm bathing is to be emphatically condemned. The use of cold water, on the other hand, affords a great protection to children against excessive sensibility to changes of the weather.
VI. Clothing.
Besides adapting it to the season, the clothing should be loose, soft, light, warm, arranged to fit without pins, and cover the legs, arms and neck. After the separation of the navel-string, belts, stays etc., are unnecessary.
When a baby is divested of its long-clothes, it is in danger of being insufficiently clad, the danger increasing when it can run alone and is more exposed to the weather. The practice of leaving those parts exposed which, when grown up, it is found necessary to clothe warmly, especially the lower limbs and abdomen, is a frequently cause of stunted growth, consumption, etc.
Warmth is of the first importance for children of all ages; especially for newly-born infants. Warm clothing should cover the whole body. The clothing, too, should be kept scrupulously clean, and all soiled and wet articles immediately changed. Caps are unnecessary; the aim should be rather to “keep the head cool and the feet warm.” In all cases, the night clothing should be looser and less warm than that worn in the day. It is also important that the dress should not impede the free movements of the limbs, or exert pressure on the digestive, breathing, or circulatory organs.
VII. Sleep.
A Child should Sleep alone.
Except in earliest infancy, or in the case of infants born before the natural term, or constitutionally feeble, or during very cold weather, it is advisable that they should sleep alone, care being taken that they are warmly but not excessively covered. Boys and girls, however young, should, if possible, sleep separately.
Amount of Sleep.
During the first few months after its birth a healthy infant spends the chief part of its time in sleep. Even up to about the third year, a midday sleep is beneficial. During sleep the structures are repaired, and the formation of new tissues, for growth and development, takes place.
No Rocking.
Just as in other matters pertaining to children, regularity is of great importance; and they should be put to bed at stated hours without the unnecessary and objectionable habit of rocking, or nursing them to sleep in the arms. Putting children to bed awake is one of the first steps in the formation of their future character. Neither should ordinary footsteps, speaking, or other sounds be avoided, the infant should be accustomed to sleep under such conditions.
Waking Children.
Another important precaution is never to awaken children out of sleep. The length of the period of sleep may be safely left to nature, and if this be interrupted by waking, children feel uncomfortable and cross.
Sleeping Medicines.
All the so-called soothing remedies syrups, cordials, spirits, or sleeping drops should be avoided, containing, as they do, to a greater or less extent, Opium, in some of its forms. These sleeping mixtures inflict an incalculable amount of mischief on health, and largely increase infantile mortality. No medicines to promote sleep should ever be given, except such as are prescribed in the Section on “Sleeplessness,” page 94.
Ventilation. Pure fresh air is of the utmost importance to children, especially during sleep. Their nurseries should be as large and airy as possible. A great advantage to health is secured by a separate night and day nursery; but where this is impracticable, the children should be not of the nursery a great deal, and every opportunity seized for promoting ventilation, by opening doors and windows at all suitable times. Lastly, their beds should not be remade until they have had sufficient time to air with the windows open. Bed-clothes require ventilation equally with a room.
VIII. Open-air Exercise.
Children require fresh air and sunlight, as much as plants and flowers; and as the latter are colourless and imperfect if excluded from direct sunshine, so children who live in places where light does not abundantly enter are pale and feeble. In fine weather, an infant over a month old should be taken out at least twice a day; the only precaution necessary being that it be sufficiently clothed in cold weather, and have its head protected from the sun in hot. A child should almost live out of doors during suitable weather. Plenty of exercise in the open air is necessary for the healthy development of the limbs and body generally. Games and exercises in the open air, or in large airy rooms, should form a part of the early education of children.
No point is of higher importance in the rearing of children than the proper management of their meals and meal-hours. Errors in feeling rank first among causes of disease and death among young children.
Breast Milk. Mother’s milk is the food provided by Nature for the infant, and as yields by healthy mothers is superior to all artificial substitutes; and suckling is the best method of feeding.
No Additions. When the mother enjoys good health, and has sufficient milk, an infant requires and should have no other food but breast-milk until from the sixth to the ninth month. Even during the first day or two, the first milk yielded by the breasts furnishes sufficient nourishment, and acts as a natural stimulant to the bowels, rendering any purgative positively unnecessary. The too common practice of giving butter-and-sugar, gruel, etc., to a new-born babe should be strictly forbidden as an act of cruelty.
When there is a deficient supply of mother’s milk some other means must be restored to, and the best substitute is the milk of the cow, to which must be added one-third or one-fourth of water. Where good cow milk cannot be obtained, condensed milk may occasionally be used, but this alone cannot be recommended as wholesome diet. Mothers will do well to study the Section, Diet in Infancy, in the Author’s Work, “Essentials of Diet, of Hints on Food in Health and Disease.” One of the prepared foods, Ridge’s, Brown and Polson’s or Neave’s should be given by means of a feeding bottle. Neave’s food is perhaps that which best suits most children, especially when weaning is about to commence, and for some time after. A good deal will depend upon the taste and constitution of the child, but the observant mother will readily detect that which agrees best with her child.
Feeding Bottles. No greater comfort has ever been invented for children, whether partially or entirely brought up by hand, than the modern feeding bottle with elastic tube, but great care is required in the use of it. Absolute cleanliness is of the utmost importance, as any neglect of this is likely to produce illness. As soon as the meal is over the tube should be removed from the mouth of the child; he should never be allowed to go to sleep while sucking it. The bottle and teat should be thoroughly washed after each meal, and the former when not in use always kept in a basin of cold water. It is well to have two bottles, so that one may be cleansed while the other is in use.
LICENTIATE OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS; MEMBER OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; LICENTIATE IN MIDWIFERY, LONDON AND EDINBURGH, ETC. PHYSICIAN TO THE READING AND BERKSHIRE HOMOEOPATHIC DISPENSARY.
Author of "The Stepping Stone to Homeopathy and Health,"
"Manual of Homoeopathic Treatment". Editor of "The Homoeopathic World."