Evening star., 1937-01-12
lnceSSant
Crying Is
NotNOrn1a]
Baby's Prolonged d
Protest Should Be
Investigated.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

RABIES ought not to cry for hours
at a time. According to the ex-
perience of baby specialists healthy
babies are happy. When baby cries
endlessly there is reason for 1t, and
the right remedy must be applied.
There are times when he ought to be
left to cry it out, and there are times
when he should be tended and COM
forted. Experience alone can teach
a mother what to do with her par
ticular baby.
Early in the first year mother
learns to interpret most Of the cries
the baby uses. Hunger, pain, dis
comfort, a desire for exercise express
themselves in tones that soon become
understandable But occasionally a
baby cries and cries without apparent
cause Before deciding that he is
demanding undue attention his case
must be studied.
Do you know why he is crying?
For instance, have you just laid him
in his crib to go to sleep, dry, fed,
and has he lifted his voice in protest
at being laid there? If that Is so,
look him over once more, assure your
self he Is all right, assure him that
he is and definitely leave him. Usually
he will yell Justify for few minutes.
pause, try it again, and, finding no
response. gradually subside to sleep.
But if he doesn't and you repeat
edly try this out, it is best to have
the baby specialist see him. The
wrong diet, a poor routine, may be
causing the trouble. BY poor routine
mean the daily program. Maybe ne
gets too much sleep, maybe not
enough. Maybe his sleeping hours
are irregular, or his mealtimes are
haphazard. Maybe he has not had
enough exercise, maybe too much.
Perhaps he Is lonely, or over-excited
by guests. All these things must be
considered. One thing alone is GER
tain: Endless crying is not normal for
q healthy baby, and a way to stop
it must be found.
First times are very important for
the baby's training. If the very first
time he tries crying for attention he
finds it useless, he will soon discon-
tinue. But if he finds it works, he
will persist with wonderful endurance,
much greater than his mothers.
Guard all first experiences OF any
sort. If they are first steps in train
ing, make the occasion as pleasant
and the experience as happy as pos
sible. For example! If the baby Is
to be taken out for his first ride IN
his pram wait for a sunny day, take
the smoothest way, move with ex-
treme gentleness, keep your mind on
the baby. That first ride Is going
to set his taste in the matter of rid
ing, and that is important to him and
to his nurse.
The first change in childs diet Is
Of grave importance. A new food
must be presented with great care.
It must be cooked right, served right.
just a little preferably less than the
child would take than more. Be care
full that the spoon Is not too hot,
that the food is the right tempera-
ture. If cup is used for the first
time, select it as to size and ease
of handling. First times are impor-
tant always.
If the first time the child cries
for a prolonged time you can use
good Judgment, then much of the
difficulty of managing him will be
eliminated. Nobody can say just how
to do it, but each mother knows her
own baby and can find the way with
q little help in emergency.
Mr.. Patri will give personal atten-
ton to inquiries from parents and
school teachers on the care and de-
velopment of children. Write him in
care of this paper. inclosing 3-cent
stamped. self.addressed envelope for
ireply