The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1915-07-17
KEEPING BABY WELL.
Some General Rules That Every
Mother Will Do Well to Follow
Right Food and Suitable Clothing
Are Most Important.

prepared for this paper by the Chill
dren't Bureau, u. S. Department of
Labor.)
1t is so much easier to keep a baby
we'll than it is to make him well af-
mother will do all she can to prevent
his illness. Summer diarrhoea,
( which is one of the chief Affections Of
baby life may often be prevented by
] proper care, and for this there are a
few general rules that every mother
should know and strive to follow.
The first and most important is
that the baby should have the proper
food, at regular intervals, and plenty
of cool drinking water between meals.
This food should be breast milk for
the first nine months, or if that is
impossible, cows milk diluted to suiS
the baby's age and condition.
Besides having the right food the
baby needs to be kept cool and clean
by plenty of baths and by the light
est possible clothing. He also needs
a constant supply of fresh air, night
and day, and a large allowance of
sleep.
| Do not be afraid to let the baby go
almost naked during the hot hours
of a summer day. If he is well and
strong he need wear nothing but his
diaper, and, possibly, one other gar
ment. This may be for a young baby
a sleeveless knitted band which leaves
the arms and legs uncovered, and for
an older baby an apron or dress. All
these garments should be cotton. A
very young and delicate baby may
need a part wool band or shirt, but
wool is, in general, too warm and too
irritating to be worn in summer. Of
course the mother will protect the ba-
by from a chill by dressing him full
lly when the day cools or when a
storm or wind arises.
Do not infict starched garments
upon the baby in summer. Babies
are sometimes much worried by the
scratching of knitted socks on their
feet in summer and also by the irri-
tation caused by starched muslin
caps on their heads. SEARCHED ruffles
about the neckband of a baby's slip
may chafe the flesh until a serious
skin disease results.
Every healthy baby should have a
full tub bath every day in summer
and in addition one or more sponge
baths on the hottest days. For the
tub bath for a young baby the water
should be just comfortably warm to
the mothers elbow-neither hot nor
cold. 1t maybe cooler for a baby a
year old. but not cold enough to chill
or brighten him. Use a bland soap
like CASTLE, as a harsh soap is pretty
sure to make the baby's skin sore.
Be sure the soap is completely rinsed
off and the skin thoroughly dried, by
patting. not rubbing it. After it is
dry a little pure talcum powder
should be busted in the cracks and
folds of the skin, in the groin, and
under the arms. Use no soap in the
sponge bath. A little baby should be
carefully held in the tub. The moth
err should put her own left hand under
the baby's left arm in such a way
that the baby's head and neck are
supported by her forearm.
Prickly heat is the result of too
warm clothing, or of the hot weather.
1t is a fine red rash which appears
on the back and shoulders and comes
and goes with the hot and cool wea-
Their. Battle the baby frequently, but
use no soap. Either a bran, soda or
starch bath may be tried.
Bran Bath.-Make a little bag of
cheesecloth and put a cupful of or
binary bran in it and sew it or tie
it up. Let this bag soak in the bath,
squeezing it until the water is milky.
Starch Bath.-Use a cupful of or
binary cooked laundry starch to a
gallon of water. If the laundry
starch has had anything like salt,
lard, oil, bluing, etc., added to it, it
must not be used for this purpose.
Soda Bath.-Dissolve a tablespoon
full of ordinary baking soda in a little
water and add it to four quarts of
water.
After bathing the baby pat the skin
dry with a soft clean towel, but do