Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-22
When You Battle
the Baby

WHEN you battle baby see that the
temperature of the room is not
under so degrees F. To undress and
battle an infant in cold room IN
risky proceeding.
Always test the water carefully be-
fore putting the baby into it
The best thing to use is a bath Their
mometer. which can be bought for q
small sum-
II. however, you have to do without
one. bare your elbow and try the heat
of the water with that instead OF with
the hand, as II Is more sensitive than
the latter
For a young baby the water should
feel comfortably warm to your elbow.
For a newborn baby the temperature
of the bath thermometer should regis
ter 100 degrees F.
Before undressing the child have ev-
erything necessary for both bath and
dressing ready by the side OF your
chair, so that you need not be obliged
to get up to look for anything while
the child is undressed.
Remember the Importance of expedi-
ton in bathing baby. Colds and chills
may be the. result of dawdling over this
business.
Always lock the door before undress-
ing the little one. and do not unlock 1t
until the child is dried and clothed
again. Very serious chills have result
ed through drafts from the opening and
closing door striking the baby in its
| bath.
screen to inclose mothers chair and
shelter the bath is a very useful piece
| OF nursery furniture
| Always put some cold water in the
bath first. then add the hot
. This should be a standing rule in
nurseries where there are toddling chill
dren, as serious accidents have hap
pened when the nurse. having poured
boiling water into the bathtub, has
gone to an adjoining room to fetch cold
| water to add to IL.
Never use highly colored or strongly
scented soap for washing babies or
young children. The skin is very SEN
sitive in early childhood. and what
would not affect an adult may very
seriously affect the skin of a child.
Highly scented violet powder should
not be used for busting babies bodies.
The safest thing to use is a mixture
of two parts either of starch powder
or fuller's earth and one part of boracic
powder.
These should be sifted together so
as to be thoroughly mixed.
The whole can be scented by pouring
over the powder IN its box little eau
de cologne. The box should then be
closely covered.
Remember the great Importance OF
thoroughly drying the skin after bath
. ing and washing.
MaDv paonIe forpat that UaUIeCt al
this is very apt to cause chatting. Lit
? tie children often suffer severely from
J chatting in cold weather because they
are not well dried after washing.
: Chapped hands in winter are general
ly the result of incomplete drying.
If your washing water is very hard II
can be, to some extent. softened by
adding a handful or two of bran to the
r bath or by keeping a muslin bagful OF
; oatmeal in the washing pitcher.
: The bag must be refil!ed about three
4, times a week.
' Babies should not be bathed soor
1 after being fed. At least an houl
e should always elapse between a mea
= and bath. This holds good at i
ages-from the breast fed infant to the
Y grownup man or woman.
Always have a needle threaded with
d white cotton at hand when bathini
Fl. babies and stitch the binder on will
= a few quick stitches. 1t should neve
be pinned on. as even safety pins ar
uncomfortable so close to the skin. ant
there is always risk of their becom
ing unfastened.
When bathing baby near the fire II
winter be careful that It's head an
. eyes are never exposed to the glare o
big fire. The head should always b
II directed away from the fire.
, A bath is most soothing to a baby
:, nerves One who is inclined to slice
q badly should be bathed at night. 1t
n cot should be ready to put 1t into di
n rectly bathing operations are finished.