The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-09-29
MECHANICAL barry
TENDER STARTLES
| OTHERS, NOT BABY
BY JOHN JAMESON

lived since birth in box mo- s
chanlcal baby tender-free from
almost all sound and dirt and Al
ways at the right Temperature f.,
a baby.
The baby tender is sciences
contribution to easing the modern
mothers problems. Debby's mi.
versity professor father writes
about it in the Ladies Homs
Journal for October.
Her remarkable good health
and happiness and my wife's wei.
come leisure have exceeded our
most optimistic predictions" saws
the father, B. F. Skinner, recentlv
named professor of psychology at
Indiana University. He formsrlv
was at the University of Mime.
sofa.
The professor said he and Mrs.
Skinner felt it was time to apnlv
a little labor saving to the prob.
lens of the nursery, and the me.
chanical baby tender resulted.
The first problem tackled was
how to keep the baby warm. Their
answer was to heat the babys
home-so they had built an insu.
lated box about the size of crib.
One side is safety glass, which
can be raised like a window.
The box is heated by electricity
to the temperature wanted, con.
trolled by a safety device.
Debby lives there, wearing no
clothes except diaper.
At first she was most comfort.
able at So degrees, but now she
likes it best at 70 degrees. And
Debby gets more exercise than
babies which are left in cribs and
held in the usual fashion, because
she exercises almost constantly
when awake. There are no covers
or clothes to keep her from do.
ing as she pleases.
1T is necessary to watch this
performance for only few min.
utes to realize how severely re.
strained the average baby is, and
how much energy must be divert
ed into the only remaining chan.
nel-crying," says her father.
Another time saving feature Of
the box is the method of chang
ing sheets. The bottom of the box
is tightly stretched canvas over
which there is a sheet. The clean
sheet, except that part in use, is
on roll outside the crib and a
fresh sheet can be put in place
by turning a crank, pulling clean
section over the bottom of the box
in a few seconds. The sheet is 10
yards long and lasts week.
Occasionally Debby is dressed
I'd 'for fun or for her play peri.
cd, but that is all. The wrapping
blanket, roller sheet and the usual
diapers are the only laundry ac-
tuany required, the professor
pointed out.
More time is saved because Deb
by doesn't have to be washed so
often. The filtered air keeps her
from getting dirty. Mrs. Sklnne.
spends a total of one and one-half
hours daily actually caring for the
baby.
Most satisfying to the SINNERS
is the baby's health. She has al
ways enjoyed deep and extended
sleep, and her feeding and eliml'
native habits have been extraordl'
narily regular. "She has never had
stomach upset" the father writes
But not all who know about the
SINNERS mechanical baby tender
are enthusiastic or sure 1t IL the
way to raise baby.
The Ladies Home Journal, in an
editors note preceding the article
says:
occasionally an idea appears
so new and challenging, so rlscus'
sion-provoking, that it seems de-
sirable to publish it at once, WIN
out the delay attendant on the test
ing and experimentation which sec
entists invariably require before
giving approval to new prac'
tice." The Journal continues 70
say it has checked with child psy"
biologists and experts who agree
the baby in no way is showing
harm from her upbringlng ana
presents the story I'm the pens.
that mothers everywhere Will 1lIes
it of great interest, will await
eagerly t h scientists final Vef'
dict"
Some critics have said they
wouldn't like to live in such
compartment, they would 1es
stifled.
The answer to that is that Dep
by has never tried to get out nor
resisted being put back H. anu
that seems to be the final test
Another criticism is that the
baby would be robbed of mother
love and that she would be starved
socially. >,
This simply has not been true
says Professor Skinner. 1.-The COM
partment does not ostracize the
baby. The large window is no
more of a social barrier than 'hs
bars of a crib. The baby follows
what is going on in the ROOM
smiles at passers-by, plays peek
a-boo" games n d obviously de'
lights in company. And she IS
handled talked to and PLAYED with