The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1915-07-08
BABY IN SUMMERTIME
ESPECIAL CARE NEEDED DURING
THAT SEASON.
First Requisite Is That He Shall Be
Comfortable at All Times-Food,
Clothing and Bathing All
Highly Important.

prepared by the Children's Bureau, U. s.
Department Of LabOr)
The long, hot days of summer are
trying TO people of all ages, but are
particularly hard on the young baby.
He is more liable to illness, especially
to diarrhea, at this time, because he
is weakened by the heat and in a con-
dition where he is easily upset.
The object for which the mother
must work in summer is to make the
baby comfortable, for a comfortable
baby is one who is well. To make the
baby comfortable it is necessary to
consider how he should be fed, clothed
and bathed; how to keep him cool and
give him plenty Of sleep; how to deal
with prickly heat and other similar
troubles, and, most of all, many times,
what not to do.
A baby who is fed regularly with the
right kind of food and no other kind,
except plenty of cool water to drink;
who wears little or no clothing during
the hot hours of the day and night;
who Is kept clean with plenty of
baths; who sleeps in a cool, quiet
room, screened from flies and mos
quitoes; who is handled very little and
is allowed to live a quiet, regular life,
will usually be healthy one. A
healthy child makes healthy grown
person, and every stone laid in the
foundation of a sound and normal
baby is just so much for the child to
build upon in the future.
Nothing is so necessary to lhc
health of a young baby as breast milk.
This is the food nature intended him
to have and on which he will nearly
always thrive. Any other food, how
ever good the milk and however well
prepared, cannot take the place Of
good breast milk, and no mother who
loves her baby will be willing to de-
prive him of this boon until she has
tried in every way to keep il for him.
This is true at all seasons OF the year,
but 1t is especially true in summer,
pure and sweet. Unless cows milk
has been MIXED from clean, healthy
cows, by clean mixers, into pals that
have been scalded with boiling water;
unless 1t has been cooled at once and
kept cold until the food is made ready,
it is not fit for a baby, Milk which
is dirty when 1t comes from the cows,
or clean milk which is left to stand
about in open dishes, in warm room,
exposed to flies and dust, should never
be used for the baby.
If, as sometimes happens, the moth
er does not have milk enough for her
baby, she will need to add to it by
one or more bottle-feedings during the
day. In such a case every effort must
be made to get clean milk, to keep it
cool and prepare it in the right way.
In order that the mother may nurse
her baby successfully she should be-
gin about two months before the baby
is born to take care of the nipples,
washing them every day in warm wa
ter and mild soap, like CASTLE, and,
after drying them thoroughly, rub
them gently with vaseiine, olive oil, or
some other softening application.
When the baby is about six hours
old he may be put to the breast, and
then at six-hour intervals for the first
day or two, until the mothers milk
comes" After that he should be
nursed every three hours from six
o'clock in the morning until nine in
the evening. nursing him regularly, by
the clock. For the first three months
he will need a night feeding, but after
four months he should sleep through
the night without nursing. When the
baby is six months old the mother
should begin to lengthen the interval
between feedings quarter of an hour
each week until the length Of time be-
tween musings is four hours. The
baby needs no other food than breast
milk, except plenty of good drinking
water (Which has first been boiled and
cooled for the first eight or nine
months.
The nursing mother should have
plenty of good food. All good food
is milk-makirg food. What is impor'
tant is that it should please the moth
er's taste, tempt her appetite and
cause her no headache, coated tongue
or gas on the stomach or bowels. II
the mother is well, the baby is pretty
sure to be well. Among the things
that most nursing mothers will digest
well and thrive on are fresh vegeta
bles, nourishing soups, good bread and
butter, milk-sweet milk and butter
milk-eggs, meat, fish, poultry and
fruits raw and cooked. Some Of the
things that may give her indigestion
are heavy puddings, underdone cereals
dumplings. too-fresh bread and biscuit
pastries, OF lack of fresh vegetables
and fruit from the diet. 1t is better
to cut down the allowance of tea and
coffee to one cupful of each day
Plenty of good drinking water is need
ed and it is good plan for the mother
to have milk between meals and al
bedtime.
The nursing mother should have
plenty of sleep at night, and should
learn TO relax and rest whenever the