The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-30
ROWLAND DRY GOODS CO.,.
Home Health Club
Edited by DIR, DAVID H. REFDER, Chicago

Let Baby Cry:-An anxious young mother wants to know what to do when the baby cries. She says it is pronounced perfectly normal in every way by her family physician; does not seem to have any pain; she nurses it at regular stated intervals; does not allow it to be taken up when it cries; bowels move freely three times daily and 1t sleeps all night and most Of the day, and yet it has a big cry ing spell a couple of times every day.
 Well, little mother, think you are very fortunate to have such a healthy and sensible baby. It knows by in- stinct what will make its little lungs expand and what will make its body grow strong and vigorous and it is only doing physical culture stunts it is ca pablo of doing or knows how to do.
 The only way for you to help is to take the covers off it's arms and legs while it is crying and let it have a fair chance to kick and exercise its little muscles. As soon as it has had enough, 1t will settle down and up smiling and happy.
 Every normal healthy infant should and will, if let alone, cry from twenty to thirty minutes during each twenty-four hours period. If it's belly-hand is properly adjusted there is no danger of rupture or other evil, so don't be alarmed or call the doctor just because baby cries.
 It is the only language that the baby has and the ear of well train ed nurse can tell instantly whether it Is a healthy normal cry or not. A healthy cry is strong and sometimes a scream, while the cry of temper is also strong, it is usually louder and more violent and is accompanied by vigorous kicking and stiffening of the body.
 The cry of hunger is continuous and fretful, not strong and lusty and if the child is strong enough, it will reach for various articles in sight. A very young infant quickly learns to cry for what it wants if its mother or other caretakers humor it or other wise foster bad habits by taking it up whenever it cries. The trained mother or nurse can readily distinguish the spoiled baby, because it stops crying only when it gets what it wants and that is usually to be taken up. It will cry to be rocked or carried about, for a bottle or the worst thing pos sible, ''pacifier."
 The only way to break up Such bad habits is to let the baby ''cry it out This will be harder for the mother or nurse than for the baby and may take three or four seances, but if sue cess is to crown your efforts, you pos itively must not give up and take the baby from its bed while crying. Wait until it stops and if it shows no sign of sleepiness, you may then put it in its cab and take it out for an air ing, or if it is the proper hour, give it a bath, but unless 1t is feeding time, do not give it anything to eat while there are still signs of temper pres ent.
 Every baby should be given water to drink between meals, from the day it is born until it Is able to help itself If it is at any time constipated, clear orange juice should be given two or three times daily between meals. For very young infants, it may be wise to dilute the juice with just a little wa ter and give not over teaspoonfuL Later on 1t can take the juice without diluting, two or three teaspoonfuls at a time, and then more as it grows older. Sometimes prune juice is more readily obtained and some prefer 1t but l think the orange juice is the best.