The Sauk Centre herald., 1918-07-11
Important Information
ReldtiDe to the Care OF
Babies in Hot Weather

Babies in Hot Weather
Thousands Of undernourished child
rem are being found in the national
weighing and measuring test which
now includes more than five million
children. The problem which com
fronts the committees which are con-
Quoting the test as part of their war
service is what to do with these un-
dernourished children so that they can
grow up to be strong, healthy citizens.
Mothers must do the saving has
been one Of the ChiIdren's Year
slogans. But they can not do it alone.
They must have the help of COM
munity organized to see chat every
mother has the care she needs be-
fore her child is born and at confne-
ment, so that the baby may have a
fair. start in ife. They need child
consultation centers, prepared to give
the mothers the most expert advice as
to the care of the baby and especially
as to methods of feeding. Feeding
used to be considered as natural as
breathing, but many Of the ills of
adult life now are traced to poorly
chosen food in childhood.
The Children's Bureau of the u. S.
Department Of Labor believes that
there is one sort of worker who above
any other is qualified to save the
lives Of babies, and that is the public
health nurse. The Bureau urges tina
each community which has no such
worker make an effort to secure one
as it's part in the campaign to save
children. And communities which have
the protection Of public health nur
now should, the Bureau declares, take
stock of themselves, and see whether
it is reasonable to expect that every
baby can receive the attention it
needs with the staff of nurses they
have made available. The leafet on
foow-up work for the weighing and
measuring test should be in the hands
of every worker who wants to know
what sort of methods are most effect
i've in saving children's lives.
Mothers, how are you feeding your
babies?
The first and noblest duty of mo-
ther is to nurse her baby. He has a
far better chance to live through his
first year if he is nursed, than if he
is bottle-fed. , Gar
AS soon as the baby is born, his
food becomes a matter of extreme
most of all to himself, and
he loses no time in telling every one
about it. Happy is the baby who is
supplied with breast milk, which is the
best food for a baby throughout the
greater part of his first year of life.
Nearly every mother can nurse her
child If she will keep at it regularly
fora few weeks. If the baby does
not thrive, both mother and baby
should be constantly under a doctors
supervision. > ,fsA
Don't forget that it is easier, better
and cheaper to prevent sickness than
to cure it. "a
A recent investigation made by the
Children's Bureau shows that of GER
tain babies who had been exclusively
breast-fed during the first six months
of life, only a little more than two
per cent died during the first year of
life, while 7 the proportion of babies
dying who had been artifcially fed
during the same period, was about six
times as great. 1t is plain, as has
been often said, "every mouthful of
breast milk is important to the baby
and that in the first six months it is
the principal safeguard of life.
Many mothers who now wean their
babies too early could keep up the
breast milk longer, and many who do
not nurse at all could do so if they
had better care, better food, and often,
better advice.
The unhappy, overworked, sick or
worried mother is very likely to have
a depleted milk supply, but in many
cases upon the removal Of these con-
ditions, the milk returns, and all goes
well. In some cases, milk may be
restored under skillful management,
even after it has apparently disap-
peared. It is wise, therefore, to make
sure that every means to conserve the
supply has been tried before subject
ing the baby to the risk involved in
artificial feeding, especially in the first
six months of his life.
HELP SOLVE LABOR PROBLEM.
The situation relative to farm labor
in this section is rather acute. B. F.
Dubois Of the First State Bank has
been appointed by the government to
assist the farmers in securing help.
He has already placed a number of
men and boys on the farms in his
territory. He has requested the Her
aid to ask all farmers needing help
to make their wants known, and to
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