The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-05-24
FOR YOUNG MOTHERS.
HOW TO KEEP BABIES COMFORTABLE IN
WARM WEATHER.

WARM WEATHER.
"How can the babies be kept com.
Portable in warm weather." a woman
physician was asked recently.
"By proper feeding, frequent bath
ing, commen-sense dressing, by giving
plenty of fresh air and by avoiding
the heat of the midday and the midaf
terroon sun-there you have the whole
thing in NUTSHELL" was the answer
"Babies are inclined to cry a great
deal during the warm weather." she
continued, "but crying isn't always a
serious symptom. End out what's the
matter with the baby when it does
cry. See if the clothes are too tight.
Be very sure the baby isn't hungry.
Very often-particularly in hot wealth
er-babies cry because they have been
overfed. If you think this is the case
rub the back and the abdomen gently
Give it sponge bath, and put it tc
sleep either in cool room or in the
open air in the shade. If you fail tc
make the baby comfortable, give it a
little milk of asafetida-l5 drops in a
little sugared water in the dose for a
child of 3 months old, half teaspoon.
full for child of 6 months, and tea.
spoonful, in water, of course, for a
child year old. The baby will fight
against taking it, but give it notwith.
standing. Milk of asafetida is nerve
tonic-just what the stomach needs
when the disturbance is due to a ner.
vous condition.
"Now, about proper feeding. Be-
very careful that the baby gets enough
food without being overted. See to it
that the child isn't tempted by giving
it tastes of food it ought not to have.
If it does not know any other food
than milk, so much the better for it.
So many people have the absurd idea
that a child Graves food because he
sees his mother or his care-taker eat
ing it. The child doesn't crave it un.
til he has had taste of it. Don't give
it the first mouthful-then it won't be
tempted.
MILK is THE BEST FOOD.
"Milk is the best food for children
up to.2 years old-that is, milk and its
notifications. What do l mean by
notifications? Rice cooked with
milk cornstarch, we'll cooked with
milk; oatmeal or barley, strained and
cooked with milk. 1t is very neces.
sary that these starchy foods should
be very thoroughly cooked, too, when
they are to be given to young children.
And the strained foods prepared with
milk can be given with perfect safety to
very young children-beginning, say
when they are about months old.
"But in the summer there is moth
ing like milk for children up to a year
old. For children older than that, in
addition to the modified milk foods, a
little broth or beef juice, with 4 baked
potato, can be added to its bill of fare.
at is unnecessary to say that the
milk fed to babies must be absolutely
fresh and sweet. Its sweetness can be
tested very easily with litmas paper,
which can be bought for almost moth
ing at any druggists. If the milk
is acid the blue litmus paper will be
turned red. On the other hand, per-
fectly fresh milk should turn red lit
mus paper blue. Uadiluted milk is
too strong for young babies. The pro-
portions should be, for children under
3 months, part milk, 8 parts water
3 to 6 months, part milk, parts
water; 6 to 9 months, equal quanti-
ties milk and water; 9 to l2 months,
2 parts milk, l part water. The pro-
portion of milk should be gradually
increased as the child grows older, un-
til it can stand the undiluted milk.
mothers milk is more alkaline than
cows milk. Some children digest
cows milk very readily, but for 9TH
ers it is too acid. If this is found to
be the case the milk can he made aka
line by the addition Of little lime
water. For 8 ounce feeding two
spoonfuls of the lime water will be suf.
ficicnt.
BATHING AND DRESSING.
What comes next on the list: bath
ing? On ordinarily warm days spong-
ing with cool water just after the baby
wakes in the morning and just before
putting it to bed at night will be found
to he very refreshing-and the spong-
ing at night will make him sleep bet
ter, too. On very warm days the
sponging with cool water can be re.
peated every two or three hours-this
frequent sponging will often prevent
strokes. One warm bath day for
cleansing purposes should be given be-
sides the sponge baths.
GLOW shall the baby be dressed !?
That's the next section Of my text,
isn't it? In our climate young ba-
by ought always to wear flannel
band over the abdomen. The flannel
absorbs the moisture from the body
and prevents a chill if sudden breeze
starts up. On very warm days this
flannel band, with one single garment