The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-07-20

Waterbury Democrat, 1t Is Ob-
 yious that tho Dionne quintup-
 lets are healthy and happy. In
 this last of six articles, Louise
 De Kiriline, who was the head
 nurse for the five famous inc
 fants during their first year
 of life, describes the correct
 ly simple handling which was
 given to the little DiOnnes,
 and tells how every baby ey-
 erywhere can have the same
 care.
 Copyright, 1885, NEA Service, Inc
 What will you do when all your little girls start teething?" used to be asked.
 'Why, nothing-we won't even know they are doing it." I always answered.
 And we didn't either. Nat urally we had long before noticed little cushions on the gums where the teeth were to appear and we were anxious to see each come up through it's little bed. But be- lieved there need be no other sign of teething. Sure enough, we waited and watched the ba- bies. Nothing happened, and mean literally nothing. Every child was just as happy and as well as ever. No so-caled teeth ing troubles at all.
 Then one morning Annette was lying squirming, laughing and kicking on the scales, and I thought of teeth. put my finger lightly on her lower gum and nearly screamed. A sharp little incisor had pricked my examining finger. ANNETTE HAD A TOOTH!-even though it was so small that one could hardly see it. I rang every bell in the place and called madly for all to come and view the wonder. The house. hold rushed in and displayed en- thusiasm enough to satisfy even me, while Annette preened her. self and enjoyed the center of the stage. Sh didn't know what she had done, but she realized our approval and basked in it. Mrs Dionne Not Excited I immediately sent the orderly across the road with the good nc@..s to Mrs. Dionne, hoping that she would come at once to see and admire. But she did not come that day. Perhaps she, hav- | ing had so many babies before, did not think quite as much of the occasion as we did. Dr. Da- foe, however, was routed out of his good morning sleep to take part in the rejoicing.
 Annette had not long to hold | her new title, for the very next morning Yvonne followed sisters l example. Her first tooth jingled on the spoon as she was fed. A week or two later little Marie got tooth and then they came thick and fast. And during all this period we never had any trouble with crying-or fretting. The Di- onne babies cut their teeth as they grew their hair and finger nails. It was all as natural for them as it is for a puppy to open his eyes, and it never need be any | other way. Mothers are all too prone to lay any upset to teeth ing. That is grossly unfair. The trouble may be indigestion from carless feeding or fatigue from careless handling.
 One great danger there is, how ever, that every person connected with the care of a baby must rec ognize and guard against. That is fear. You must shield a baby from fear. If you let him slip and fall, it is not the moments hurt that is important. It is the sense of insecurity that comes from the childs- being allowed to slip in the first place.
 Of all the Dionne babies, Yvonne was the only one who ever definitely showed fear. We never were able to decide what had happened to implant in her this complex. But we tried to deal with it carefully.
 When Yvonne Was Scared | Once, after the babies were settled and alone for the night, Yvonne began to cry. We knew no reason for it but we went back into her room and carefully | investigated to see if anything could be wrong. There was noth- ing but she stopped crying as soon as one of us came into the room. When we went out, she began to cry again.
 This time I came in and sat down quietly a little distance | from her bed. Tn a moment l noticed that a blind was Tapping in the wind and that whenever this happened. Yvonne would look toward the blind with fright ened eyes, then turn to me in anxious inquiry with a little sob in her throat.
 "Why, that is nothing" I mur- mured in my most casual tones as adjusted the blind so that it would not flap. I talked to her for a moment reassuringly. When she was quiet, I left the room. She cried again. came back and talked O her little more, and again went away. She slept