St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-12-06
Babies.

: Babies. . +
We do not like to interfere with people
in domss8e matter, but cannot help mott
cling that ii this healthy climate, whore
indiginoag dssass h unknown, the NOR
ta]ity amongpt Infants is about equal 70 that
In the city Of New York. It is a matter
Of record that one half the children born,
die in the first year. Why is it, Why
i. it says tho bereaved mother that I am
thus afflicted Why should infants die :
Pardon the unpleasant truth, but pining
mothers your darlings are starved and fro
rem to death, only this and nothing more
Nineteen out Of every twenty die from cold
and hunger, or from poison. Millions Of
lambs die of the two first causes, and these
with infants usually produce the third
the giving Of the poison. A majority Of
babies are to their mothers and nurses just
about what doll is to a little girl-some-
thing to dress-a means Of displaying odds
and ends Of fnery and exhibiting ones
taste. II infants were treated on the prin-
ciple on which a good farmer treats lambs,
goslings, chickens, pigs, &c., viz well fed
and kept warm they would live and grow
just as well-cared-for gosiugs live and
grow; and we never knew one die. -
Very many infants are SO chilled in the
first hour after birth that they never can
rally. Attendants do not consider that
their introduction into the air of an ordi.
nary room is about equal to an ice bath
plunge to an adult.
Sufficient care is not taken to envelope
them Immediately in soft, thick wraps
which have been aceN ,oorn,ed by fire, or
in the sun if in hot weather. As they
must be considerably exposed to the air
during the process Of Washing and dressing
this should be as high as 900, if 1000, all
the better. The bath should be blood
heat, and large enough to allow them to
be submerged. The washing should be
very gentle, but thorough, to prevent the
necessity Of disturbing them soon again.
They should be expeditiously and warmly
dressed-the arms never piniored down to
the sides, but left free to be raised quite
up. Once or twice in each twenty four
hours of the first week, the nurse should,
with a soft rag wrapped around her fioger,
wash the arm pit without removing the
clothes, dry and powder it nicely to prevent
chatting. Head, neck and hands can be
washed without removing the clothing,
which should not be changed I'm the first
week if it can be avoided, because the
process is always fatiguing. The contact
Of nurses hands produces more or less SORE
ness, and the turning aud handling is wea.
risome. If they have the first two weeks
to rest they can have more frequent chan
ging and washing, and gradually come to
require it. Very much depends on rest
and warmth and quiet in the beginning of
LIES tiresome journey. The eye should
not be subjected to a strong light, or the
the ear to loud or harsh sound.
No baby is dressed while his arms, neck
or feet are bare. For the first three
months babe should wear long sleeved
sack dresses, Of soft white muslin with
WOODEN saques outside. The feet requi1.
soft shoes always, with stockings which
come quite mp to the knee. The constant
motion Of the feet makes it impossible to
keep them warm with only loose wraps
In addition to this the feet should be care
fully warmed by fire every time the
wraps are loosed -; and no article of cloth
ing should ever be put on without hav-
ing been warmed. Everything coming in
contact with the body Of temperature
less than blood heat, must extract heat
and so diminish the vital force. Very
few infants have sufficient strength to
create any surplus heat, and so they con-
stantly want the addition of artificial
warmth to compensate for the Loss they
sustain in the frequent changes Of clothing.
A baby should never be laid down to
sleep, summer or winter, without having
something warmed by FIRE and put in it's