The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-11
JOS. N. TEAL
Member Executive Committee

lu6 Stdl0 VI las USOn
notified from all sections of the
state of the alarming infant mortality
1 from entirely preventable causes As
/ the greatest asset of Iowa is its
healthful population, it is important
| that every baby be kept well, and for
these reasons the board makes the
/ following suggestions to fathers and
mothers:
The hot weather of this season of
| the year is extremely dangerous to
the lives of infants and young chill
dren, not only because of the de-
pressing effect of high temperature
in general, but especially because it
is harder to preserve all articles of
food, especially cows milk, in hot
weather.
For this reason it is especially i'm
| portant that cows milk to be used
for feeding babies should be the pur-
est and freshest that you can afford
to buy. During hot weather ice is
/ ton of milk, where cool spring
house is not available, and no milk
| should be fed to a baby which is not
cooled by ice around the bucket as
soon as it comes from the COW, and it
should be kept next to the ice until
spent for ice may prevent illness and
Its much greater expenses for nur-
sing. medicine and medical atten-
dance. Unless you are absolutely
sure your water supply is pure, it is
safest to use water which has been
boiled for drinking and for the prep
aration of the baby's food.
/ In practically all cases the mother
can and should nurse her own baby.
Breast-milk is the natural food for the
newborn baby. No other food can
compare with it. Ten bottle-fed
babies die to one that is breast-fed.
Immeditely after birth do not use
any kind of artificial food or teas
| for the baby while waiting for the
breast milk to come. Put the baby
| to the breast every four hours and
give nothing else but water that has
been boiled The new baby needs
nothing else and will not starve.
After the milk comes under no cir
cumstances should the baby nurse
oftener than every two hours during
< the day and two or three times at
night.
| Do not nurse the baby whenever
! it cries. A moderate amount of cry
| ing helps to develop the lungs and
! every baby should cry during the day.
/ Babies who are nursed irregularly,
or whenever they cry, practically
always get indigestion and then cry
4 regularly and the baby will soon learn
/ to expect it's nursing at the proper
time. Give the baby little water
which has been boiled, several times
day. After two months the time
T between nursing should be 21a to 3
! hours in the day time, with only one
or two feelings at night.
Do not wean the baby as long as
he is gaining weight and never do so
4 except by advice of your doctor. Do
not follow the advice of friends or
neighbors about weaving. re the baby
/ remains well, but after a time stops
gaining weight, do not think that
your milk is of no value, but consult
your doctor about adding one or two
bottles to help you out
If it becomes necessary to feed the
baby either entirely or only in part
upon the bottle, remember that abso-
i lutte cleanliness is necessary in all de-
, tails OF the feeding. Because some
babies have lived through filth is no
> aurgument that yours will. AS soon
as bottle is finished it should be
t thoroughly washed with cold water,
then cleaned with hot water and
oorax q teaspoonful to a pint of