The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1916-09-23
ELIZABETH GAINES 49, BEFORE
AND AFTER.

Ellkabpth, IN the better ttableB contest.
held by the KIifa Club az lhelf Neigh
borheod House Elizabeth scored 50
per cent,
Now, in a Better Babies Contest, the
family treasure may not win prize,
but every neither Ii sorely tried If her
baby does not reach the 30 per cent
mark. Every time Mrs. Gaines looked
at that score card with It's So per cent
she felt that II was a reflection on her
qualifications as the mother Of dear
little Elizabeth
when the RlIta Club offered a spec.
ial prize Of twenty-five dstiars for the
baby who had not won a prize at the
July contest but who would show the
greatest Improvement during the six
months. Mrs Gaines determined that
Elizabeth should touch the 80 per cent
mark
This second contest aroused greater
interest than the first especially among
physicians and mothers Elizabeth
Gaines falflled her mothers hopes by
showing the greatest improvement In
six months She weat better than 80
per cent She gained five points aud
seored 81 per cant And this Ii how
Mrs Gaines tells the story Of Eliza.
beihs wonderful improvement,
Elizabeth vas born al the Rood
sahiterlum and she weighed IA lbs
To all appearances she was normah
healthy baby, but within a week after
her birth she developed ioundiee. She
had 80 be kept alive OH oxygen for
number Of days She seemed TO melt
right away, and weighed less than six
pounds when brought her home. three
weeks old. but after the fourth week
she seemed TO take new start and
she Improved every day. our baby
vas brought up by rule was fed,
bathed, taken outdoors, pat 10 bed
regularly every day, vas always In bed
aud asleep every night at six o'clock,
and this has always been followed up
aud she has developed into a perfect
little girl
When the klifa Club announced
BETTER Babies Contest last July. Il
seemed 10 me there could not be any
baby healthier or better than mine
She seemed SO well and happy But
she bad a little cough, the kind SO
many babies have when they are teeth.
Ing, even In July was very much
surprised when the doctor deducted
IS points because Of this cough He
said II showed that her bronchial tubes
were not IN good condition Like most
mothers, | suppose I thought that a
little cough was not a very serious
thing, but when Il takes 80 points of
your babys score. aud the doctor tells
you that baby does not have 10 have
cough when IL Ia teething and you
ought to attend to 1t right away, a
mother begins 60 understand that In
this day and age babies do not have
10 be a little sick because they are
teethlng.
Then she Lost & more points be-.
cause her tongue was coated and the
doctor said this was because she had
eaten something that did not agree
with her Here we're two defects which
the average mother would say, with
me, They really do not matter. all
babies have them at times.
When the contest was over de-
cided that my baby should never have
them again IL intelligent care and pre-
ventiye methods would work. | started
with revising her diet
when ! took her back 10 the Jan.
uary contest. the doctors found her
lungs and bronchial tubes as clear as
a bell aud her little tongue pink aud
clean. Nov. do not Say that sou can
always prevent babies taking colds.
even with the best Of care, and some
times the most carefully reared babies
will oyereat, but the gain OF Eve points
out Of a possible one thousand just by
care, proves that the Better Babies
Contest Ia a thing We mothers all need
II makes us stop and think We under
stand Il il moi enough 10 have q good
baby. a pretty, healthy baby. we want
best baby think Elizabeth viii BIZ
better baby all her life because of
what learned Al the Hettef Babies
Contest In burlington Such contests
certainly put the mother oR her mottie
and shos her as nothing else will, the
possibilities Of motherhood and what a
healthy child can mean To the family
and to the state
There ta to be- a BETTER Rabies Con