Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-06-14
PROTECT THE BABIES.
portant Bulletin to all
Mothers.

Owing to the fact that last year
S95 babies died in Iowa of the chol-
era infantum and a large number
more died of other preventable dis
eases and that much of this death
was due to neglect in the care of
the food of the baby, this department
sends out the following bulletin by
DR.. G. H. Sumner, secretary of the
State Board of Health. 1t is hoped
that every father and mother of an
infant child will carefully read and
study this communication.
THE hot weather of this season
of the 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 preserve adj articles of
food, especially cows milk, in hot
weather.
For this reason it is especially inn
portant that cows milk to be used
for feeding babies should be the
purest and freshest that you can af-
ford to buy. During hot weather,
ice is absolutely necessary for the
preservation 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 ready to be used. A
little money spent for ice may pre-
vent illness and its much greater ex-
pense for nursing, medicine and med
zeal attendance. Unless you are alb
solutely sure your water supply is
pure, 1T is safest to use water which
has been boiled for drinking and for
the preparation of the babys food.
In practically all cases the mother
can and should nurse her own baby.
Breast milk is the natural food for
the new born baby. No other food
can compare with it. Ten bottle fed
babies die to one that breast fed.
If it becomes necessary to feed the
baby either entirely or only in part
upon the bottle, remember that alb
solute cleanliness is necessary in all
details of the feeding. Because some
babies have lived through filth is no
argument that yours will AS soon
as a bottle is finished, it should be
thoroughly washed with cold water,
then cleaned with hot water and
borax Zone teaspoonful to a pint of
water) and set aside in a sunny
place for further cleansing before
being used again. If you have only
a few bottles and it becomes neces-
sary 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 it. Never let
the baby nurse from the remains of
a bottle which he has not finished.
Take it away from the crib, pour
out the milk and clean at once.
The care of the nipples is espe-
cially important. The simpler, the
safer. Do not use complicated nip
pies, and especially do not use a bot
tie with a long rubber tube. 1t is
impossible to keep it clean and it
will certainly cause bowel trouble.
After bottle is finished, the nipple
should be removed at once, turned
inside out over the finger and scrub
bed with cold water and brush kept
only for this purpose. After use,
always boil the brush.
A bottle fed baby should not vomit
II its food Is pure, unless it is fed
too much at a time. Vomiting is
usually sign of approaching i'll
ness, either one of the serious dis
eases of childhood. or more COM
monty in hot weather, of summer
diarrhoea. Vomiting due to this
cause may be the first sign of trou-
Bile. If vomiting is repeated, stop
feeding milk, give water which has
been boiled, cool or at the temper
ature at which the milk is given, and
consult your doctor at once" G. II.
Sumner. NJ. D., Secretary.