The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-14
the skin will form protective covering
and prevent the breaking of the skin.
BUMPS ON THE HEAD

BUMPS ON THE HEAD
There was q woman once who In
her eagerness to give her baby lots
of fresh air. wheeled him out on the
veranda every day altar his bath and
left him there until he wakened from
the inevitable after-the-hath sleep and
wept to be taken up.
One day she forgot to fasteu the
brake on the carriage and q playful
wind. blew it off the yeranda--haby and
all. 1t sounds tragic, and 1t was, for
the poor woman was 60 frightened that
instead of picking the baby up she rush'
ed screaming into the street and across
to her neighbours house.
Only a moment or 80 was wasted
but meantime the baby lay. very white
and still beneath the carriage until ths
mother and her neighbor, with shakins
hands, picked him up and carried hin
into the. house, still limp and Wits
and looking as II he were dead.
Someone phoned for the doctor who
came speedily. But the mother otter
said afterward that she should have
gone out Of her mind during the mo.
ments of suspense before his arrival but
for the comforting words of her neigh
Dor. In effect they were:
"My dear, don't be unnecessarily
alarmed, because in the majority Of
cases when baby strikes its head the
injury is not fatal. This lie because q
baby's bones are soft and much less
liable to damage from a fall than 10
adult years, when bones are brittle and
snap like tinder."
The sensible neighbor had placed The
baby in a reclining position on the
couch, after thus rescuing him from the
frantic embrace of his mother, who
clutched the inert child to her heart.
forgetting that he needed air even
though he was unconscious.
Then the neighbor opened the win.
dow and covered the baby warmly. In
few minutes, thanks to the fresh air
and the stimulant Of warmth, he stirred
and cried little, family.
He will be all right now" the
neighbor said. Just then the doctor
arrived.
The doctor, too, treasured the young
mother. After he had assured himself
that the baby had broken no bones, and
had directed the application Of cold "a
the moaning child's head, and ap-
proved the heat that had been placed
near his feet, he said
I'm early months the bones Of the
skull are soft and incomplete in devel.
opment. 1t is Natures kind all-seeine
way Of safeguarding the child from 60
we're injury, for babyhood 40 rule 10 9
series Of accidents, The infant brain ID
softer than the adult brain. So even
severe knocks and jars are less liable
to do great harm than the same injury
to grown,up person. Not, of course.
that ] am trying to make you believe
that blows on the head may not bs
dangerous. They are less liable to be
so when the bones are soft and movable.
The real danger Of q blow or bump
to a baby's head" continued the doc.
tor, lis that injury to q certain portion
Of the brain may cause partial paraly.
sis. Or profound shock may result aft.
er a bump on the head. You will al.
ways recognize shock by vomiting, q
weak thready pulse, intense pallor shall.
low breathing and cold clammy skin.
All one can do for shock In the case Of
an infant IL keep 1t as quiet az possible
summon a doctor 90 quickly 40 DOS.
in a reclining position. warmly cover
ed and with plenty of fresh air and
sible."