Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-04-24
CARE OF THE BABY
IN SUMMER SEASON
WatchfuIness in Feeding Will Prevent
Many Complaints That Are Often
Dangerous, Says Georgia State
Board of Health.

Atlanta, Ga.-No mother who feeds
her child properly, sees to it that the
food is pure and wholesome and
properly proportional to the child's
age and condition. and who surrounds
it with proper hygienic conditions,
need fear the month of May about
which many have an unnecessary sup
erstition, nor the first summer nor the
second nor any other, regardless of
whether teeth are coming or not.
Neither the month of May nor the
entire summer need hold any terrors
for the careful, watchful mother
Teething is a perfectly natural, nor
NAL process, and any disorders attend
ing it are due, as a rule, to improper
feeding or overfeeding of the child
Here are some good rules for the
care of the baby, particularly in the
summer season, which are Endorsed by
the Georgia State Board of Health.
Feed your baby, if you can, from
your own milk. 1t was intended for
the baby and nothing will suit it as
we'll or do more to preserve its health,
than the mothers milk.
If the mother has no milk, if it is
unhealthy or if sickness of the child
requires other food, follow closely
and carefully the advice of the doctor.
If the child is we'll and healthy, and
the mother cannot feed it, the best
obtainable food is modified cows milk
modified and prepared under the
physicians directions to suit the age
and condition of the child
Danger in Overlooking.
Don't overfeed the child The
amount of food should always be re-
duced in hot weather If on the
breast nurse it less often and give
more water; if on the bottle, pour
out one-fourth of the milk and replace
it with water, then make the feelings
further apart.
Don't feed a child simply because
1t cries; it may be only thirsty. Give
it plenty of fresh, pure drinking wat
| or.
Don't give your child any solid food
! under twelve or thirteen months OF
age. Without teeth it cannot be
chewed and is bound to act as an in,
testinal irritant, nearly always causing
| trouble The child should be weaned
at the end of the first year by gradu-
ally reducing the feelings at the
breast and cautiously substituting 9th
er foods.
In feeding on the bottle, exercise
| the greatest care in securing fresh,
| clean, pure and wholesome cows
milk. Cleanliness and purity in the
! food cannot be too greatly emphasiz-
ed. Modify it for feeding in accord
ance with the directions of your physi'
| clan.
Keep the bottles clean. Boil them
after each feeding. When filled with
fresh, modified milk, stop them with
cotton and keep in cool place until
needed. Heat by placing the bottle,
milk and all in warm water and keep
ing on the stove until the proper tenn
perature is reached; don't pour the
milk into another vessel for the pur.
pose of heating.
Keep the nipples clean. Wash af
ter using and place them in a solution
of boracic acid until needed Then
rinse one off and place it on the bot
tie.
Don't "dose" the baby Too often
children are given medicines or rene
dies handed down by the old
nanny nurse. that do much more
harm than good If the baby is sick
if it has a bowel complaint or fever
stop it's food at once and get doc
tor as quickly as possible. Many
babies are killed every year by too
much home dosing"
Common Sense in Clothing.
Don't overhead the child with fan
nels and heavy clothing. The cloth
ing should be light particularly in hot
weather. After the child is three or
four months old, the flannel band is
unnecessary; it is uncomfortable in
hot weather and often affects dig
estion. 1t is more sensible to put on
a light wrap mornings and evenings,
II the weather is cool.
Give the baby its daily bath, at all
times. If the weather be very hot, it
will add to its comfort to sponge it
two or three times a day with a little
! cool water
Don't keep the child in a hot, stuffy
room See that it has plenty of pure
fresh air; encourage it to stay out in
the air. Even a child with fever, and
bowel complaint, does better out in
the air in pleasant summer weather
than in the close, hot room.
It is well to allow young children
the utmost freedom compatible with
their safety. Let them do those
things that nature and instinct de-