Baby Hygiene : Part 2

The Mother and Her Child
by William S. Sadler, M.D., Lena K. Sadler, M.D.

(Page 24 of 42)

Suckling Habits

There came into the office one day a woman forty or more years of age, whose mouth was markedly disfigured, and on my inquiring as to the probable cause she said: "Doctor, it is the result of sucking my thumb when I was a mere child, too young to know better, and every time I look into the glass, which I assure you is only when I am compelled to, I curse my parents for not breaking me of that habit." The indulgent parents were hated and despised for neglecting their duty, because of the disfigurement which resulted from this unrestrained habit of early childhood.

Thumb sucking, finger sucking, or pacifier sucking, are all filthy habits, and should be early discouraged. To aid in overcoming the habit of sucking the thumb or biting the fingernails, the ends of the fingers and edges of the nails may be painted with a solution of aloes or quinine. In extreme cases, a splint may be placed on the anterior bend of the elbow, therefore preventing the possibility of raising the hand to the mouth.

The "sugar teat" of our mother's generation has passed, as has also the "mumbling" of food for the young child; we no longer give the babies concentrated sugar, nor do we "chew" our children's food at the table.

Extreme cases of chalk or dirt eating have been noted; such tendencies are decidedly abnormal, and require medical attention.

Keep Baby Warm

Much colic and fretfulness may be avoided if baby is kept warm. The finger tips are a good thermometer, for if they are warm the feet usually are. "Bundling" is unnecessary, but careful attention should be paid to keeping the feet and hands warm without making the child sweat; that is an art, and all mothers should attain it. An extra flannel wrapper and a pair of heavy wool booties in the winter are good warmth producers. Cotton flannel petticoats should be replaced by warm woolen ones, and when the baby begins to get about on his hands and knees a pair of loosely fitting wool tights, made from discarded woolen underwear are of inestimable comfort and value. In the effort to avoid draughts and body chilling, ever bear in mind baby's need of fresh air and the dangers of sweating, for the sudden cooling of a sweating child is a forerunner of pneumonia, cold catching, diarrhea, and other troubles.

Baby's Temperature

During early infancy, baby's temperature sometimes varies greatly; for instance, a rectal temperature may register 97.5 or 100.5 F. while the child may be in perfectly good health.

The baby's temperature should be taken at the rectum - which should normally register 99.5 F. This temperature, as stated above, may register 100.5 F., with no other symptoms of illness. In taking rectal temperature the thermometer should remain in place two minutes.

The groin is the next best place to take the temperature; here the thermometer should remain five minutes, and the registry is usually a degree lower than that of the rectum.

The baby's temperature usually is a good guide to the severity of any illness. In case the temperature runs above 101 F. the physician should always be notified and his orders carefully followed. Slight causes often produce a high temperature of 103 to 105 F. for a short time; but such a temperature of long duration means serious trouble and demands expert advice and attention. Abnormal temperature will be more fully considered in that section of this work entitled "Common Disorders of Infancy."

Baby Bouncing

The common custom of bouncing or trotting baby on the knee is a harmful one. The young and growing nervous system of the child is decidedly injured by this constant jolting and jiggling, to say nothing of the "spoiling" effects of this practice. There is a vast difference between the sensitive nervous system of the infant, with its liability to shock and disturbances, and that of the settled and developed nervous system of an adult. The strength of the mother or nurse is so great that the jarring not only often causes indigestion and vomiting in the infant, but sometimes also lays the foundation for "wrecked nerves" in later life.

The tossing of baby in the air comes in for the same condemnation. Baby is not "our plaything," and must not be bounced and tossed about like a rubber ball.

Carriages and Go-Carts

The first carriage should be roomy and comfortable. The bed should be thirty-three inches long and fourteen inches wide, and should be twenty-eight or thirty inches from the floor. The wheels should be rubber tired. The cover should be a good sized hood containing a dark lining, and provided with a wind shield. This dark lining creates a neutral shade for the eyes and protects them from the glare of the sun and the bright skies.

The bed of the carriage should be soft and warm; and, with the size before mentioned, there is ample room for the "tucking in" with warm blankets, which are first spread out on the bed and then the baby placed into the blanket, after which it is brought up and over him.

The folding go-cart and the small carrying-basket are to be used only in an emergency. They are convenient in traveling or shopping for the mother who has no maid or caretaker with whom to leave the baby; but they are not satisfactory pleasure vehicles, neither should the baby be left to sit fastened in one of these carts for any great length of time.

The mattress of the carriage should be of hair, while needed warmth may be secured by the use of a thick, light-weight woolen blanket, placed under the child and brought up and around him.

About the Author

Dr. William S. Sadler M.D. was a well-known American psychiatrist and college teacher in the school of medicine at the University of Chicago. For over sixty years he practiced his profession in Chicago, thirty-three years being associated in practice with his wife, Dr Lena Kellogg Sadler. The doctors were pioneers in the research on the mysterious Urantia Papers.