Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-10
Save The BABIES
STATE HEALTH BOARD ISSUES
ADVICE ON CARE OF
INFANTS.
HEAVY MORTALITY OF LATE
MOVES PHYSICIANS TO ACTION
Board Tells Fathers and Mothers What
to Do and What Not to Do in Cases
Of illness and in Preventing Sick
ness-Babes Killed by Diseases En-
tireIy Preventable.

Des Nome. Aug. 10.-The state board
of health has been notified from all
sections Of the state of the alarming
infant mortality from entirely prevent
able 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 bot weather Of this season Of
year is extremely dangerous to the
lives Of infants and young children, not
only because Of the depressing effect
Of high temperature in general, but
especially because it is harder to pre-
serve 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 purest and
freshest that you can afford to buy.
During the hot weather Ice is absolute
ly necessary for the preservation OF
milk, where q cool spring-house is not
available, and no milk should be given to
"a baby which Is not cooled by Ice around
the bucket as soon as It comes from
the COW, and 1t should be kept next
to the ice until ready to he used. A
little money spent for ice may prevent
illness and its much greater expense
for nursing, medicine and medical at
tendance. Unless you are absolutely
sure your water supply is pure, II Is
safest to use water which has been
boiled for drinking and for the prepa-
ration of the baby's food.
Breast Milk Natural Food.
In practically all cases the mother
can and should nurse her own baby.
Breast-nilk is the natural food for the
newborn baby. No other FOOD can
compare with it. Ten bottle-fed babies
die to one that is breasted.
Immediately 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 noun
ing else. but water that has oeeh
boiled. The new baby needs nothing
else and will not starve. After the
milk comes under no circumstances
should the baby nurse oftener tnan
every two hours curing tA0 oAS $500
two or three times at night. ;.
Do not nurse the baby whenever II
cries. A moderate amount OF crying
helps to develop the lungs ana every
hahv should cry during the day. Babies
who are o1ursed irregularly, or when
ever they cry, practically always get
Indigestion and tfren cry harder from
thu pain. Nurse regularly and the oaov
Will soon learn TO expect its nursing
at the proper time. Give. the baby a
little water which has bee0 boiled, sew
eral times a. day. After two months
the time between nursing should be Il
to hours In the day time. with only
one or two feelings at night
Too Much Advice From Friends.
Do not wean the baby as long as he
is gaining weight and never do so ex-
cept by advice OF your doctor Do not
follow the advice of friends or neigh
bors about weaving. II the baby re-
mains WE'LL but after time stops gain
ing 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 up
on the bottle, remember that absolute
cleanliness Is necessary In all details
Of the feeding Because some babies
have lived, thru filth is no argument
that yours will. AS soon as bottle
Is finished st should be thoroughly
washed with cold water, then cleaned
with hot water and >borax Gone tea
spoonful to a pint Of water )and set
aside in a sunny place for further
cleansing before being used again. If
you have only few bottles and 1t be-
comes necessary to use the same one
for the next feeding, boil 1t for a few
minutes with little soda in the water
before putting fresh food into 1t. Never
let the baby nurse from the remains of
bottle which he has not finished.
Take it away from the crib, pour out
the milk and clean at once. Stale milk
curds sticking to the inside of the bot
ties becomes poisonous after a few
hours and may contaminate fresh milk
coming in contact with them. 1t is bet
ter and easier to have as many bottles
as the daily number Of feelings so that
all can be boiled together before the
food is prepared In the morning.
Ban on Rubber Tubes.
The care Of the nipples is especially
important. The simpler the safer. Do
not use complicated nipples, and espe-
cially do not use a bottle with a long
rubber tube. It is impossible to keep
it clean and it Will certainly cause
bowel trouble. After a bottle is fin
ished, the nipple should be removed at
once, turned inside out over the finger
and scrubbed with cold water and a
brush kept only for this purpose. After
use, always boil the brush. The
cleansed nipple should be kept i'm fresh
borax water Il teaspoonful to pint
Of waterl in covered glass. Rinse the
nipple in boiling water before using it.
Do not put the nipple into own mouth
to find out whether the milk is warm
enough Let few drops fall on your
wrist; if it is too hot for your wrist,
it is too hot for the baby's mouth.
Food Needs Vary.
No general Instructions can be given
about the preparation OF milk mix
ture for your baby. Each baby needs
a combination suited to his digestion.
The mixture upon which some other
;c3y is thriving may be too strong or
too weak for your baby. Let your doc
tor tell you how to mix the food. 1t
tt,yit is likely to be stale. but get it
it. it is kliely to be stale, but get 1t
nv, oA holt mint from the