Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-06-07
Look Ont for Your Baby!

Infaras and Young children should
be carefully watched these hot days
1t is the hour Of their peril. They
should be fed with greas moderation.
1Se quantity for babies should not be
.increased until fall. That Is an axiom
of trained nurses. 1t takes little food
to sustain lie. The hot months are
not a good time to practice building
up" with increased nutrition
Don't think of your baby a. a reser-
yoir in which to pack away as much
food as possible. Nothing gained.
1t isn't how much he eats, but how
much he assimilates that determines
progress If his flesh shows he is
well nourished, let we'll enough alone.
Ii lie is thin and lifeleSS. YOU may be
taxing his digestion. The chances
are it is not more food. but better ad
iuSted food that is needed. Modify
the milk with barley water until di-
gestion shows the right color aud con-
sistency. Babies are almost never
overfed. If the baby throws up his
milk, don't cram another bottle down
his throat for an hour or two. Nature
has thrown out a signal. Use good
sense.
The more sleep babies get the great
er their vitality to withstand the
enervation of heat. Give them maps
during the day even if it be necessary
to Groom them TO sleep on your lap.
Keep them out of the sun when it
blazes tiercelv. Give them water fire.
quently to drink and bits of ice to
suck. Keep them in the shade or in
the house if necessary. Don't fret
or punish them. Hug 'em. Sponge
their little bodies with tepid water
before they 60 to bed. In the middle
of the day, not too soon after a meal,
let them play in the bath-tub, as
naked as when the stork brought
them, looking to it that the water be
not too cold and that they do not stay
in too long. When they are restless
at night rub the back of their necks
with your wet hand. Apply water to
their feverish heads and sing .'Old
Aunt Rhody." Some sing the. Crock
a-bye" song, but we have had better
luck with ''Old Aunt Rhody." 1t was
written long time ago. Rub the
baby's back; battle his hands and feet,
telling him he's mammals precious
boy. He'll soon be asleep Close
the door softly when you come out.
Milk is the proper food for babies
three years of age and even older.
Don't think because he's cut a tooth
or two that nature means him to eat
beef-steak. Milk contains all the ele-
ments of nutrition necessary. Dilute
it with barley water perhaps. Good
bread, or better the German double
baked zweibach, is about all they
need in addition in summer time.
Avoid candy especially in summer.
1t upsets their stomach and may lead
to terrible consequences. Run no
risks at this season. II the child in
sists on sweets, get some matted milk
tablets. They are harmless and are
an effective substitute for confection-
airy for children-in fact are known
as .baby-candy." Diarrhea is the
chief summer peril of infancy. When
noted get anxious. If neglected your
baby will fret and waste and lose vi
tally at the very time he needs it.
Check diarrhea in its incipiency. De-
lay the next meal for few hours and
then dilute the milk. Use Castoria
or a mixture of Castor oil and
rhubarb to rid the baby of the fer
mentations that irritate the bowels
and make the trouble. Give them y
little water to drink. Water enters
the body pure and leaves it impure.
1t must carry impurity with it.
Avoid solid foods. Barley water OIL
rice water makes a good temporary
sustenance for ..loose'' babies.
Call in the doctor if you are wor-
ried; but some sensible woman who
has reared six OF eight children can
tell you a great deal, learned while
perhaps the doctor was in short pants.
The care of children is largely mat
ter of close watchfulness. Study
their appetite, their sleep, their
breath, their tongue, their motions,
This the doctor cannot do FOrtu-
nately practically all the sickness OF
normal childhood traces back to the
stomach. Feed them on milk, (dilut-
ed for babies) and see TO it that il
is clean and sweet. Keep it on ice.
Boil the mouth-pieces in water every
morning with some baking soda.
Wash the bottles scrupulously and
give no germ foot-hold. Don't use
a long tube on the bottle unless you
are prepared for baby funeral.
Tubes cannot be cleansed and mi
crobes nest in them. Babies are the
sweetest things on earth and merit
sleepless attention. They will see to
the sleepless feature. You provide
the attention. II you haven't got
good sense consult some mother who
has. Motherhood is always a tender
and beautiful thing; but never quite
so lovely as when summoned to care
for rosebud of baby who can't
seem to handle his milk properly.