Evening journal., 1915-07-06
CARE OF THE
BABY IN SUMMER
The Second Summer.

A widespread and deep-rooted be-
lief prevails among mothers that the
Second summer" is an especially
perilous time for the baby, and conse-
auently one to be greatly feared.
The facts. however, do not support
this belief. Official figures show that
about FIVE times as many babies dlo
in the nrst year Of life as In the sec
ond and that nearly two-thirds OF tho
babies who die in the first year OF
life die IN the first three months.
These figures show conclusively
therefore. that the great loss OF intant
life takes place among very young
babies, and that II baby has. sur.
vived this early period his chance OF
living TO grow up Is greatly Increased.
Tho reason the "second summer
has acquired this partly undeserved
reputation for danger lies very
largely in the fact that babies are
often made sick because mothers
make many mistakes in feeding a
baby after he IS weaned and before
bis digestion is able to deal with or
dinary family meals.
The fear OF tho second summer re-
suits also from the fact that tho baby
Is getting his teeth at this time. AL
though the teething process some-
times is unjustly blamed for causing
Illness. babies are. no doubt. often
upset by the pain Of teething and do.
therefore. suffer more readily from
mistakes in feeding.
A third reason why the second sum-
mer makes babies sick applies equal
" to the first summer. that is. the ex-
cessive heat affects them badly, both
directly and indirectly. Heat often
spoils the milk and makes it UNIT for
the babys use. But even properly
fed baby may he made sick when the
weather is very hot
A long continued spell of extreme
heat is very hard on babies of all
ages, and the greatest care is needed
10 avoid every other cause of Illness
at this time and to prevent by every
possible means an attack of summer
diarrhea.
The greatest safeguard which the
mother can throw about her baby in
the second summer is to see that he
has proper food. at regular intervals
in suitable quantities, and to keep
him cool A baby who is about or
10 months at the beginning of sum-
mer should, if possible. continue at
the breast until September, because
even two or three breast feelings a
day may be enough to keep his diges-
tion in good order; and. in case he
becomes in, to save his life. The
breast milk should be supplemented
with two or three bottles of cows
milk, properly prepared, as directed
in a formed article in this series.
In addition. some other food may be
given, but il must always be remem-
bered that care in feeding the baby
at this age is as important as in early
infancy Changes in the diet in sum-
mer should be made very cautiously
Only one new article of food should
be added at a time. II should be
given at first in very small quantities
and its effect on the baby carefully
watched meanwhile
II the baby vomits. belches gas, or
shows looseness of the bowels. the
food should 10 greatly lessened in
quantity or taken away altogether
until the disturbance subsidies.
For a baby from months to one
year OF age, the following food is rec
commended: Strained orange or prune
juice may be given once a day after
The baby is eight or nine months old