The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-08
SMALLEST
BABE IN
THE WORLD
Little Mite Of Humanity Is
Only a Menlh Old, but Is
Doing Well.

Bridgeport. Conn. April s-"Why, OF
course. my baby is going 10 live. aren't
| you. little sweetheart" exclaimed Mrs.
| Marvin Peck. the mother of the smallest
baby I'm the world, TO a woman caller yes
| terday. The mother took the little bit
OF humanity up I'm her arms and kissed its
little wrinkled forehead fervently.
The tiny baby looks old. due, the doctor
says. 10 the loss OF some fat about it's
head and neck that has suddenly disap-
peared in the last few days. leaving
wrinkles almost as deep as those OF a
person of seventy-fve in the little fore
head and about the corners of the mite of
mouth
The aged look occasioned by the
wrinkles is also added TO by the heavy
growth Of dark brown hair on the babys
head.
What will we name her?" asked Mrs
Peck. in answer To an inquiry. II think
Ruth is pretty name. but we haven [
decided what TO call her yet"
The smallest baby in the world was
month old on Wedne sday, and that day
IL weighed Just a pound. Close up to the
parlor stove the wee mite of humanity.
wrapped in cotton batting, sleeps most
or the time in "A common grocery basket,
which IL placed on chair. I'm the bot
tom OF the'basket, from which the handle
with hot water. and over these several
layers of cotton batting. The tempera-
ture is kept at 20 degrees in the basket.
Baby Peck Is covered with cotton from
her wee bit OF neck TO the tips OF her
tiny pink toes. Around the cotton and
infant If wrapped "A warm flannel blanket,
ana then she Is placed In the centre OF
her little bed OF down in the market bas-
ket, where she seems TO be as contented
as most babies are who are only a month
old.
Baby Peck has never yet known the
touch of water. but every day she is
given C bath In sweet oil by her mother
This is To keep the cords and muscles
from contracting. as the cotton wrapped
around her form has a tendency TO in
terfee with muscular development. IL an
incubator could have been obtained for
the little one II would not have been
necessary TO pack her I'm cotton and there
would have been no fear OF muscular con-
traction, but no incubator could be- pro-
cured.
This little baby is the length OF
inches in ali A napkin ~ Of the psi ordi-
rest on her shoulders. and teacup placed
over her head would cover completely
from view every bit OF the head and neck.
In every particular the infant is per-
fectly developed even 10 the nails on her
tiny fingers. The wedding ring that baby
Peck's mother wears will slip over babys
ring will slide easily over the foot and
UP TO the knee.
Baby Pecks heart action and lung
power are as strong. the doctor saws as
I'm any normal sized baby of the same
age. There Is no doubt about her lung
power If her lusty cries are a safe cri-
terton by which To Judge. for one can
hear her cry clear out i'm the street from
her warm little berth beside the parlor
stove.
All the food that the baby takes Is malt
ed milk-two teaspoonfuis every two hours
when n wake. She seems TO like the malt
ed milk, as she smacks her little lips I'm
appreciation like any other baby
When Baby Peck was born the phvsi-
clans said she would not live more than
a day. At the end OF ten DAYS the medi-
cal fraternity began 10 grow interested
but still Insisted that she could not sur
vive. Now, however. at the end OF n
month the attending physician feels that
Baby Peck will live and grow up TO be a
handsome young woman