The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-12-10

CLEAN LlNESS
Cleanliness is one of the founda-
ton stones on which is reared the
beautiful structure of baby's good
health and good temper. When it is
neglected, all sorts of weaknesses, dis I
comforts and irritations creep in.
Uncleanliness invites disease and !
furnishes lodging place for germs.
Moreover the baby that starts off
life by being comfortable through
cleanliness forms clearly habits which
it never loses. Whenever a mother
tells me that she can't keep her three
or four year old & baby clean, that it
simply attracts" dirt wherever 1t
goes, whatever 1t does, wonder how
she started it off at birth. And have
noticed at Better Babies contests that
many minor defects, small ailments
can be traced by the examining ply
|sicians directly to carelessness on the
part of the mother.
Preparations for keeping the baby
clean start before he is born. In
drawer or basket covered from dust,
should be placed number OF old.
soft, clean towels, a thoroughly wash
ed and dried piece OF sort wooden
blanket or outing flannel, roll OF
sterilized gauze, at least half a pound
in quantity and the same of steriliz-
ed absorbent cotton, bottle of olive
or cotton-seed or sweet-oil, small
package of boric acid, some pure
white soap or the best CASTLE, and a
box Of talcum powder.
| A trained nurse of long experience
in maternity cases tells me that the
modern doctor looks first to the new
born baby's eyes. Science has proven
that large proportion of men and
women who are blind owe the afflic-
ton to lack of care at birth The eyes
are easily infected at that time, and
blindness is the inevitable result.
4 This nurse starts baby's career by
washing out his eyes very gently
with a piece of gauze, dipped in a
weak solution of boric acid, directly
she has applied the sterIized dress
ing to the cord Then she rubs baby
, from head to foot with the oil men
toned above, rolls it UP in the soft
warm blanket, lays it on it's right
side and turns her attention to the
, mother, feeling sure that baby's eyes
: are safe from infection
: Later she gives the baby its frs
: sponge bath of warm water and pure
soap, taking infinite care not to dis
turb the dressing of the cord. Afte
J. the bath she washes out baby's moutl
: with gauze and weak solution
t boric acid, and throws this piece o
:. gauze away. with a second piece O
gauze and more of the acid solution
s she then gives baby's eyes a secon
9 washing, dresses him, feeds him an
g ftucls him away for his first sleep i
perfect cleanliness and perfect con
2 fort At first she uses sterilized gauz
II for all wash purposes, with old, sol
y linen or toweling for drying. TIL
II gauze is then burned, each towt
: washed and dried before it is use
y again. Later baby. when a year oil
y has a soft wash rag and towels {
: his own, which no one else is pc
10 mitted to use, and these are washe
and dried as scrupulously as h
!, clothing.
n. For week, only the sponge bal
Mt is given, baby lying on bath bla
a. ket on the nurses lap. After that
ty he is we'll and strong, he may
"a bathed in tub. In households whe
M there Is the regulation bath room tn
at is simple matter. In other home
al a special tub must be provided for t
ny baby. The enameled tub is the be-
I'D and it must not be used for any pl
pose except the baby's baths. If t
family tub is used, it must be clean
If Escrupulously before baby is put in
the water The skin of the new-bo
be baby is very tender and Infection
EN- always at hand. At the Better Babi
ice contests | heard more than one pI
stefan trace an eruption on a bah.
lie, skin to careless bathing or care of t
nd tub. Doctors say that bad cases
I've boils can be traced to an infected I'll
de- In fact, there are women who 10
me their babies. yet so thoughtless as
re- leave diapers soaking in the bath Il
'ile where, after superficial rinsing
her with warm water, baby is bath
lile Diapers, all of baby's clothing,
her fact, should be soaked and washed
oes separate utensils, never in bath tn
aw The bathing of the baby each mo
ing should be a systematic proce
tes never done hastily or careless
NY There should be thermometer
r,a the room and one for the bath it's,
IF The room thermometer should regis
oss from rs to so degrees f. For the fl
g eight weeks of the baby's life,
i a bath thermometer should show Il
OF the water is 100 degrees F. FIR
~ two months to six, the temperate