Evening star., 1946-12-04

Clothes and the baby. A baby's
clothes are for the baby's comfort
they should be planned with that
In mind and not to satisfy the
mothers longing for frilk. Looking
at 1t from completely practical
standpoint. plain clothes mean less
ironing, which, in turn, gives the
mother more time to spend In more
desirable ways. Clothes that don't
need ironing are. of fcourse. best Of
all. It's also smart not to buy a
lot of clothes-thet baby outgrows
them very quickly. The clothing
bought for q newborn baby should
consist OF as few pieces as possible.
The average baby needs the fol-
lowing for about the first six
months:
Shirts dong or short sleeves, or sleeve
less, according to climste) ---~-- Sd
Abdominal bands IA
Fiannei souares or baby blankets = 2-3
Warm hood tff climate IL cold $780,
Other garments. such as dresses,
additional sweaters and bunting
or other wrap for cold weather. may
be good to have but not essential.
It is better to have plenty Of diapers.
shirts and nightgowns so that the
baby can always have clean ones.
It's also wise to remember that the
baby needs great freedom for ac-
tivity.
Usually, 1t is not baby's fate to
be too lightly dressed. II mothers
60 to any extreme, they keep the
baby too warm. In moderate weather
or in a changeable climate IL Is
usually better to dress the baby
lightly and have sweater or other
light wrap that can be slipped on
when needed. To keep the baby
comfortably warm, but not too warm,
his clothing should be selected to
suit the climate, the season, the
temperature of the house, and the
babys age and condition. When the
baby is outdoors in cold weather be
sure that his clothing Is warm
enough and especially that his
hands, feet, and ears are warmly
covered. Even here, however. care
should be taken to see that the baby
is not dressed too warmly.
The baby's clothes should be so
designed that they can be put on
and taken off with the least possible
discomfort for him. When garment
is too small for the baby, he should
not be forced into 1t. Garments that
open all the way down are easier to
manage than those that open part
way or on the shoulders.
All the baby's clothes should be
washable. Materials that must be
ry-cleaned have no place in the
baby's wardrobe.
A drawstring should NOT be used
in the neck Of baby's garment.
Such string is dangerous, for 1t
may get pulled too tight about the
baby,s neck and strangle him. Long
ribbons, sometimes used as trimming
on babies clothing, are undesirable
for the same reason.
Diapers should be soft, absorbent,
light in weight, and not bulky. The
diaper should be changed as often
as it is wet or soiled. Wet diapers
should be placed at once In covered
pail and left until they can be
washed.
All the diapers should be washed
in very hot water with plenty OF
mild, unmedicated soap, with no
washing powder or strong soap. They
should be rinsed through four waters
SO that all the soap is rinsed out.
Diapers should be dried in sunshine
land open air whenever possible. It
Ills not necessary to iron diapers,
though they may be ironed If the
mother wishes.
Sometimes the skin of the baby's
buttocks and thighs becomes chafed
This chafing is often due to soap
left in the diaper and means that
greater care In rinsing the diapers
must be used. Boiling diapers helps
to remove soap
Pants over the baby's diaper tc
protect his clothes or bedding