Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-22
Clothing For The Baby

: The amount and weight Of a baby's
clothing depend upon the season; but
garments worn next to the skin, except
The diaper, should be wholly or partly
of wool, the lightest weight in summer
and heavier weight in winter. Dur
ing the first few weeks baby's abdo-
men should be supported by flannel
binder about six inches wide, applied
snugly but not tightly enough to re-
surlct either the abdomen or the chest
walls. This band should be fastened
with small safety pins at one side
OF the front. never in the back. II
may be replaced later by loosely fit
ing knitted band and worn for
warmth only. Such band is espec-
ALLY necessary ii there is tendency to
ularrhoea, but IN no case should 1t
ue discarded before the 18th month.
AL garments except the diaper and
the nrst flannel binder should hang
from the shoulder and should tiJ
loosely but well.
Clothing for babies should be Of
soft materials and should be simply
calnty and fine as the mother WISHES
! Or can afford. Even the first clothes
should not be very long. The weight
0f very long clothing is an unneces-
sary burden and prevents free move
:ncnt Of the legs. Slips should never
De over rs inches long, and II the
weather is warm may be even shorter.
! ~, cIanvnc
and make the garment adaptable Tor
the baby as he grows. At night an
entire change OF clothing should be
made and nightgown of warmer
material substituted for the petticoat
and slip. In cold weather this may be
drawn IN at the feet with draw
string while the baby is small to pre-
vent his becoming uncovered, but in
all older baby this restricts MS free
! DOM to kick and his nightclothes
should therefore be made with feet.
a baby's feet should be kept warm.
While he is in long clothes they gen
! orally need no orher covering, but
il they should be cold to the touch
they should be dressed. The best
stockings are part wool, and in very
! cold feather short bottles may be
worn over them like shoes. Ordi-
nari!y bootees should be long and have
. turn at the knee as the legs need to
be kept warm also. For the older
baby soft shoes or mocasins may be
made from old kid gloves or from
! flannel, and as soon as he begins to
walk he needs shoes with a firm sole.
As soon as he is big enough to walk
out Of doors in bad weather he will
need both ovcrshOcs and leggine \
baby's shirt should be at least part
wool, and should open alsSthe way
down the front so as not to have to
! be pulled on over the head. A baby
should be wrapped warmly if taken
Que Of doors in cold wather, but
most children are dressed too warm
ly indoors, although in low temper
atures they must be well protected.
Ihc baby's diapers should be soft
and absorbent. 1t may be necessary
to wash new diapers several times
before using in order to make them
soft enough. A fine grade Of cheese
cloth is good material for the first
diaper, and later cotton birdseye
should be changed during the day
whenever they are soilcd or wet. and
at night when the baby is taken up to
be feed, and they should not be put on
50 tightly as to cause pressure. Care
OF the diapers is extremely impor-
tant. They should be washed, boiled
and thoroughly dried before they are
used a second time. Diapers that
have been wet but not soilcd should