The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-08-03
Care Of
the Baby In
Summer
Helps For the Country Mother In the
Care Of the Baby
Prepared by tho children's bureau. Unit

ed States department Of labor.l
Thousands Of young mothers living
on the farms and In the sparsely set
tied rural communities of this country
have to meet the problems of mother
hood with little help City mothers
may have doctors and nurses without
number at their service. as well as
hospitals and dispensaries. In addition
the infant welfare station has proved
of enormous help to mothers situated
SO as to be able TO avail themselves
of 1t.
But the country mother usually lives
too far away to make use of these sta
hons, while hospitals and doctors are
resources to be used only in illness or
emergencies. Thus the country mother
usually has had to learn from her
neighbors or from her own, sometimes
sOrrowful, experience what to do or
what not to do In the care Of her baby.
In this situation the mother should
have at least one good book on this
subject. If she will apply to the chief
Of the children's bureau, United States
department of labor, Washington, ask
ing for the publication called Infant
Care" 1t will be sent free Of charge.
This bulletin contains simple directions
for the care of the baby and in addi-
tion gives references to the standard
books dealing with the subject.
An encouraging prospect for the re-
lief Of the country mother has lately
opened up I'm the coming Of the rural
visiting nurse, who travels about the
farming communities with a horse or
an automobile. She Is employed by
the families in her district, who con-
tribute to pay her salary. The town
and country nursing service maintain
ed by the American Red Cross assOcia-
tion, with headquarters at 1924 Fl
street, Washington, will be glad to
send literature and answer questions
about such service.
The nurses ride about their districts,
calling at each house where there is
need of their assistance They work
under the direction Of doctor, help
ing the family to carry out his instruc
tiOns in cases Of illness or accident.
Thus the nurse does dressings, gives
baths, takes temperatures or whatever
may be required in the case. If there
is baby she advises the mother as to
his care, shows her how to give him a
bath and hov to prepare his food if he
| is already weaned. But in addition to
giving bedside nursing and home care
the rural nurse does many other things.
If typhoid makes its appearance she
| may look about for polluted water
| supply or trace back the milk the fam
| lily uses to its origin to see whether
this is the source Of the infection and
urge methods which will prevent fur
ther spread of the disease.
She stops at the country schools and
looks over the children and sometimes
detects beginning cases of infectious
disease in time to prevent an epidemic.
She also notes cases of probable ade
nOids, deafness or weak eyes and calls
| the attention Of the child's family to
the need of care by physician.
In all of this she carries on a con-
tlnual campaign of education toward a
better standard of community life by
showing the mothers how flies can be
exterminated or at least be kept out Of
the house; how to take care Of the
milk and the baby's bottles; how to
clean up the premises, dispose Of the
| refuse and how to keep the streams of
the community pure. Such nurse Is
therefore, If she Is as useful as she
may be, far more than a nurse. She
IS teacher, hygienist dietician as well,
and her salary will be saved many
times over In the course of years by
the prevention Of illness and suffering
through her work.
| A rural woman's club may be the
nucleus from which the movement for
q community nurse starts. Clubs of
this sort interested in such move
ment will find many suggestions in a
bulletin published by the children's bu-
reau on work Of this sort which is car
ried on in New Zealand. This pamphlet
is published by the New Zealand So
ciety For the Health Of Women and
Children and Is sent free by the chill
dren's bureau, Washington. to all who
ask for It,