The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-02-07
RATHINGs UR INFANTS.
1t Shosad R4s Dons Scientifically
use Soft Cloths.


experienced mothers should say
nothing about how to give baby his
bath, butNI am much more interest
ed IA trytHRStQ- help mothers who are
workings ShroAKh 4tEeir initial expert
ence. r More than one letter in the
past few weeks has asked me precise
ly the best way this part OF the
morning dressing should be done,
and 1t ts sl imDoHtant and at the
same time such jolly part Of the
day that 1t gives me pleasure to tell
about tt ~
The room must be warm, and the
articles necessary are a screen about
the tub and chair In which the per-
son sitting bathes the baby, low
chair thaS is more comfortable than
a high one, the tub itself, which, TX
1t has not'a stand of it's own, may be
on chair or low table, and another
table for the baby's basket. The
basket, Of course, contains all the
little things connected with dressing,
including threaded needles with
which ito sew on abdominal bands
and flannel skirt.
BY the tub should be cauStic,
palm or other pure oil soap, a bath
thermometer. which is inexpensively
bought at any toilet department;
cheese cloth wash cloths, a soft tow
ell, couple Of new wire hairpins
with little absorbent cotton fasten-
merely twisting; it will hold itaelf),
pitcher of warm water, another of
cold, and a basin {of warm water.
The tub, more than half full, should
be at SO degrees Fahrenheit, and,
~ the tub is thin, there should be
thin Hannel laid in the bottom.
If possible bath should be given
before fire or radiator, and on a
rack Or chair near the tub should be
all the baby's clothes, so hung that
each will be warm when put on. The
nurse or mother wears long flannel
apron, and has a flannel sheet where
She can pick 1t up easily.
The tub filled and everything
ready, the screen Is spread around
to keep off the draught, and baby is
undressed and quickly covered with
the flannel apron. He is not put into
the tub until after six weeks Of age
Whether younger or older the
head Is first washed, the body being
carefully covered with the flannel.
WASH the face, using no soap and the
water. from thSbAafn. Dry the face,
head, ears and neck, and rinse, using
fresh cloth and water in the tub
which, Of course, is quite clear, the
soapy water being In the basin.
If the baby is Of an age for it,
h" may then be put into the tub
quickly and carefully washed with
I soap On the cloth, and, taken out,
wrapped in the fresh flannel sheet
and kept covered while he is being
dried with a soft towel. The drying
under such circumstances is neces-
sarily slow, but no air should strike
the child's skin while it is wet.
If he is too young for the tub he
IS washed under the blanket, the
cloth being we'll .soaped, and each
and every part OF the body gone ov-
er, still not uncoyeFing at all. A
tPesh cloth and fresh water are used
FOR r1nsing which is done, in
same way as the washing, and as
soon as the rinsing is completed the
damp flannel is slipped out, the dry
iiannel sheet put under and the wip-
ing is the same as when tubbed.
Still covered, the body is busted
with talcum powder in the neck and
groins, or olive oil may be rubbed in
the latter creases if desired, and sub
nitrate of bismuth is busted about
the cord. Take piece of linen four
inches wide and longer than the fan
mel band is wide. Lay this linen ov-
er the cord so that each end Of the
CIOth comes above and below the
Dand. In this way the linen can be
stretched quite smooth The flannel
Dand IS basted over this, the under
clothes put on at once and baby is
put on his back for the finishing DC
cess.
|. Wrap piece of absorbent cotton
about the tip of the fore-finger, wet
1t in d solution Of boric acid and
wipe out the mouth. Take a fresh
piece Of cotton, dip it in the boric
ac1d solution, squeeze a few drops
into the baby's eyes and wash the
lids, doing first one and then the 9TH
er, taking fresh piece of cotton for
each.
For cleansing the ears and nose a
good old-fashioned wire hair-pin is
best, but | cannot too strongly i'm
press upon those Inexperienced in
dressing babies that they must be
more than careful not to push these
cleaning instruments too far into
ears or nose. Permanent injury NAV
result. Some specialists recommend
the use OF toothpick for these pur-
poses, but | disagree with them, for.
though the end is wrapped In abb
sorbent cotton, the cotton is too apt
to push away, leaving sharp point,
and also mother is more apt to
push thin stick in farther than she
can hair-pin. So, In spite Of what
'up-to-date' people may tell YOU,
use a wire hair-pin, new one with
every bath.
The wrap a little piece Of absorb
ent cotton about the end Of the hair
pin and dip it into the borie acid 90
luton. Gently, oh, go very gently,
wash out the ears, drying with the
softest bit Of gauze, and wash out the
nQ3tr1ls, removing any secretions.
sometimes, in case Of cold, the US
ual secretions are hard, and in that
case drop Of warm olive oil must
be used on the cotton, finishing with
the acid solution