Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-16
MORE ABOUT BABY CARE.

AS a rule baby specialists do not
| become very agitated about consul
patton in babies. Some even go to
the extreme, saying that they had
rather see baby constipated than
normal. They see so much harm
done by diarrhoeas that they ma
turally think Of the other end OF the
line as being preferable and some
times of being preferable to the
. midway station. But II the phy-
eicians are satisfied with constipated
little babies, not so mothers. am
sure that in the aggregate there are
more mothers anxious and inqulr-
ing about constipation than there
are who are disturbed by loose
| bowels.
If the baby Is at the breast q
mother can do something to over
come constipation by eating freely
Of fruits and vegetables. Even
though baby be at the breast. 1t
is Just as we'll to begin giving fruit
Juice or the strained Juice of canned
/ tomatoes rather early. Unless the
mothers are eating plenty of vege-
tables, their milk Is poor in anti
scorbutic principle. Cows milk con-
tains very little Of this principle,
except when the cows are on pas
ture or are being fed green stuffs.
How ever, Gerstenberger has
shown that orange juice Is not
much Of q laxative. This Is in line
with the observations Of the thous-
ands Of mothers who have found
their babies just as constipated
after commencing orange Juice as
thew were before,
Constipation in bottle-fed babies
may be due to the taking Of milk
mixtures which are too rich in pro-
tein and too poor in sugars and fats
But baby specialists say, since the
child needs proteins for growth and
the repair Of waste and SO much
diarrhoea and skin troubles are due
to fat, it Is better to play safe and
put up with a mild degree Of consti-
patton. However, il the symptom
becomes too troublesome, it may be
advisable to increase the sugar or
fat, or both.
OF the sugars, the malt sugars are
the most laxative. Many babies are
constipated because they do not get
enough water. Most of the moder-
ate allowance they get goes off as
sweat and urine, and little Is left for
the bowels. Therefore give the baby
plenty of water, especially In hot
weather.
One reason the baby specialists
are SO little agitated about consti-
patton is because they think it will
end when the baby begins to take
gruels, cereals, bread. vegetables.
and fruit juices.
AS a rule, the babies fed on malt
ed milk suffer less from constipation
than those fed on milk formulas
alone. It Is better to use a soap
stick or an enema than to give a
laxative internally. An injection Of
an ounce or two of oil at night Is
socetimes advisable. If laxative
must be given, milk Of magnesia is
the simplest and the best.
Constipation in older children Is a
matter OF more concern. Kerley
says it is generally due to a diet
composed in too great part of sweet
milk, crackers, and dry bread stuffs.
The condition should be remedied
by diet. The milk should be but
termilk, clabber or SKINNED milk.
The bread should be whole wheat,
graham, or bran. Cereals should
be served with butter and sugar
rather than with milk. They should
have plenty Of laxative vegetables
and fruits. They must be trained
to have regular bowel habits.
Climate Not the Cause.
A. G. O. writes: ''While living
in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil, little
over a year ago, my son, years
| old, contracted asthma, suffering so
| much from it that on medical ad-
j vice we left the country, coming
to Los Angeles. This apparently
stopped the trouble and there have
been no signs of the trouble until
recently, when he has had a few
slight attacks, mostly coughing at
night. We are living near the ocean.
Would it be better for him farther
inland? What should be done in the
way of permanent cure?"
REPLY.
Find the cause Of the asthma II
possible. 1t is some cause which
is not always present. Can 1t be
| contact with a cat, dog, horse, or
| bird? Or is it some food? You
| are just as likely to find the cause
| and to avoid it where you are as you
will be inland.
| May Be too Nervous.
D. K. writes: "My son, who is
3h years old, plays around, bowels
| m oy,o III h,,f La ha1a6o or ,,.,,,,