Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-19
CARE OF BABY
FROM INFANCY
Mothers Advised What to Do by
Expert Employed by the
State.
Contributed by the Medical ConsuitAnt
of the State Reconstruction Commission

of the State Reconstruction Commission
In the articles which will be written by
the medical consultant OF the state ne
construction Commission, and which are
10 spue:sr liz these columns at regular inter-
walls. information will be gwen that VIII
help mothers To bring their babies and
children safely through the many periis
which beset their paths. This importance
is coming to Ike recognized more and more.
II is a matter of common knowledge
that the death rate among children, ana
particularly among infants, is appallingiy
high and the saddest part OF Vt Is, that
large proportion of these are easily pre-
vented 1t is merely case OF informing
mothers of the best methods of caring for
their children. All mothers naturally are
ANXIOUS to do their utmost To have their
children grow up into healthy men ana
women, ss is their right.
These facts are known to people inter
Gated in this line of work and therefore
organizations have been brought INTO
being 10 inform and help the mothers.
The State Legislature of Delaware has
caused to he formed, the Reconstruction
Commission of the State of Delaware, for
this express purpose. This commission
tnok over the child health centers estab-
l,shed by the womans committee OF inc
State Council of Defense and is enlarging
and improving them as fast as possible
These centers are scattered throughout the
State. They have doctors IN attendance
who have offered their services free oi
charge In the interest of the mothers ana
children who desire TO come and OBTAIN
advice Trained nurses with Sp@cia
framing IN this line of work, go out mt"
the homes and help the mothers with their
problems in every possible way. During
oh llrsYa u-pr brought
10 the centers, and 2S,3S4 visits were
made bv the nurses 10 the homes II you
will go 70 the center In your district, the
nbvs,c,aps and nurses will examine and
weigh vour child and keep complete
records of his physical condition ana
weight AS long as he is brought 10 them
They will gladly advise you and the nurse
will go TO YOUR homo to assist you II You
desire.
IS YOU can readily see, this means the
saving of hundreds of lives of children IN
the course of year, if people VIII only
avsil themselves of these eXcepuonai OPP
portunities. -,
In connection with these centers. the
Reconstruction Commission OF Delaware
PROPOSES to have q series of articles appear !
in the ncwspa pers, which. if followed, viii /
give mot hers many valua bile points IN the
care of their children. These articles VIII /
take no the care Of the baby from the time
of birth and follow him through the wears
Of childheod. They will take up ques-
tions Of weight. food, clothes, hours OF .
sleep. the best method OF preventing I
disease and of dealing with the danger sig
nals which should he carefully watched Tor, f
etc.
Fuller information in regard to the
work which is being done by the Recon
struction Commission OF Delaware, can
he obtained and will be furnished gladly.
bv anv Of the child health centers. They
are located 81 the following places:
Eighth and Lombard streets, Maple and
Porter streets. B snd Fieald streets, Ninth
and Union streets, Seventh and Walnut
streets, lColored.
The first articles of these series viii take
up Baby's First Month.
BABYs FIRsT MoNTH-PART one.
This period in a babys existapce Is by
TAR the most important OF ms whole life
Statistics show that from one-thlrd 10 one
half OF all deaths occurring IN the hrst
wear of life lake place IN the hrst tour
weeks This Is due 10 a variety OF causes.
chief among which is Intestinal or digest
i've disorder. The best way OF obviatlng
this will he discussed later in tins article.
4 matter of great interest sitter the
birth of the baby is always its weight.
There are wide limits within the normal.
Seven TO seven and one-haf pounds Is the
average weight. but anything from SIX TO
ten pounds Is quite normsi The baby
should be weighed at birth and frequently
thereafter. In order that an accurate idea
of its general state OF health may be gam
ed. Ii should always he weighed on the
same sccurate scales, at the same hour,
and dressed In the same clothes. Balance
scales are TO be used for this purpose and
not the ordinary spring scales, which are
very inaccurate Otherwise, the record |
will not be correct.
During the first few days Of babvs
life, it will lose q few ounces In weight
This is quite normal, and nothing to be
alarmed about. After this initial loss,
however. he should gain regularly, prac-
ticallv half an ounce doy II he should
lose after having started to gam, 1t should !
be considered serious end doctor con- !
suited.
The normal length of a baby at birth is
about 2G to p inches, but this also is sub
lect TO wide variation, and still he within
normal limits. '
The first thing doctor or midwife :
,npuld do after the birth OF the baby is to G
put drops" in It's ewes. This serves 3 verv {
important purpose as one-third OF all the !
blindness In the world could have been
prevented II this measure had been u ken.
81 birth These drops" are used 10 kill y
.hese germs and the Laws of the State re- !
Iuire that they be used in the eyes of y
very baby Is soon as it Is born. The State y
3oard of Health furnishes free of charge q |,
bese drops" to the proper persons, upon ~
eqliest. In case no doctor or midwife il
present when your baby Is born be sure
hat these precautions ere taken within q
cry shor. time, and thus be on the safe
ide Any discharge from the eyes during
he first few days is to be regarded as an
tarIning sign, and doctor should be
onsulted at once. I'll
See that your baby's birth is registered in
t once, either by the doctor, midwife or
" yourself. Insist upon this, Us it vii! be a :!
most important record for your child to +
ave all through his life 1t VIII prove be- ii
ond all question the matter of his citizen i
nlp, age, and even identity. The inn 4
ortauce OF being able to prove these. was r
demonstrated during the late war The i
hild labor laws provide that the age must Il
G proven before minor will be alIoSed II
D go 10 work. The importance of having Il
he baby's birth registered at once cannot i
c emphasized too much See that If is -
cue. II