The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-10-08
Little Talks on Babyology
BY Anna Seese Richardson Director Of the Better Babies
Bureau Of the Woman's Home Companion.
WHAT rs BABYoLOGY?

neighborS pitied them both. The idea
that the poor little tot was born with
the right to acquire strength and
health was not preached The thought
of calling in science to transform the
delicate baby into strong one is com
paratively new. 1t is part OF this won
derful, this optimistic new science of
Babyclogy.
And babyology Of the common-sense
sort for the common-sense mother Is
the most important outgrowth Of the
Better Babies Contests which have
been held at state and county fairs all
over the country during the past sum
mer and this fall.
At Better Babies Contest, the
beauty of the baby does rot count
Strength, energy, good proportions, in
telligence do. Every baby entered in
these contests has been examined by
physician, tested by standards of nor
NAL, healthy children. And every
mother attending these contests has
received her first instructions in baby
ology As more than a hunnred thou.
and babies have been examined in
these contests since January /, 1913.
by Ave thousand physicians of recog-
nized standing, Babyology has gotten a
mighty good start in American homes.
Tens of thousands OF mothers have be-
come we'll acquainted with their own
babies through these lessons in baby
ology. They have found out why their
babies are delicate and how they can
be made strong. They have found out
why small chests we're sunken and how
they could be developed, why small
stomachs and abdomens were distend.
ed and sore and how they could be re-
duced to normal proportions; why
some babies who cry ought to be smil-
ing instead and how smiles can be
coaxed back. To sum it up, the study
of babyology has taught these mothers
that a puny, sickly, fretful baby is not
a dispensation of Providence but an
unnecessary family burden, and a
grave reflection on the intelligence of
the parents.
AS director of the Better Babies
Bureau Of the Woman's Home Com
panion, / have attended many of these
contests, east. west, north and south.
have conferred with hundreds of par
ents, discussed babies and babyology
with hundreds of physicians. What
these parents and physicians have
learned from each other-and from
the babies examined-is the basis on
which these articles have been pre-
pared.
Mothers who cannot enter babies in
contests, mothers who cannot join
clubs which are studying babyology,
will find help In these articles, built
on the experiences of mothers who
have done both. These talks on baby
ology, twelve in number, will discuss
every phase of baby's existence, from
its food to its maps, from It's tiny
aches and pains to its play. Problems
of feeding, bathing, dressing, sleeping
teething, exercising, all the habits OF
babyhood acquired in the first few
years and, alas, so often never cast
off, will be considered, just as they
were seen to come up at these contests
Babyology has one big splendid OBJ
ject, one throbbing message to give
the world. 1t is Better Babies for the
| home and the nation. If you have nc
baby in your home, If you hope some
day to have baby resting against
your heart, If you are merely lover
of other peoples babies. you will be
interested in this science of babyology
| It's the sort of thing you are glad tc
pass on to your neighbor-your fellow
worker.
II you have problem in raising
your baby, some place in these talks
on babyology, it will be solved fol
you II you cannot wait for that par
ticular article, then write to me, II
care of this paper, and your question
will be answered by the aid of physi
clans who know babies and believe ii
| the study of babyology for all mothers
The next article of the series will
deal with the vital problem OF feedin,
| the baby.
| Copyright, 1918, by the Woman
Home Companion.)