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The baby should be fed at the breast for at least nine months.
A baby under nine months should never be weaned unless weaning
is ordered by a docter.
If a mother has not enough milk of her own for the baby, she
should give some cow's milk as well. The two milks will not
disagree. Solid food, such as bread, biscuits, or tops and bottoms,
should not be given.
Remember that all foods except mother's milk have a tendency
to upset the baby's stomach, and should never be given to a baby
under nine months old unless advised by a doctor.
Wean your baby gradually. Never wean during July, August
or September if you can possibly help it. In those months many
babies die from summer diarrhoea. A hand-fed baby is fifty times
more likely to die from summer diarrhoea than a breast-fed baby.
In hot weather the baby may cry because he is thirsty. If it is
not time for feeding, give a teaspoonful or two of water which has
been boiled and cooled.
Never let the baby suck a dummy teat. It may upset the baby's
digestion, and cause diarrhoea, besides being harmful in other ways.
Never give your baby medicine unless it is ordered by a doctor.
clothing.
The baby must always be kept warm. The underclothing
should be of woollen, or flannel, and it must not be tight. Only
one binder is needed. It must be of flannel, not linen, and it must
never be tight.
In winter, stockings should reach up to the knees; no part of
the leg should be bare. The arms should be protected by long sleeves.
feesh air.
The windows of the bedrooms and living room should always be
kept open at the top. The rooms should be thoroughly aired twice
a day.
The baby should be taken out of doors in the daytime as much
as possible when the weather is fine. Babies should not be taken
out at night.
Never sleep with a baby in your bed. Each child should sleep
in a separate cot. Many babies die every year because they have
been overlaid in bed by their parents.
washing.
The baby should be washed all over every day with soap and
warm water.
G. F. McCLEARY, M.D.,
Medical Officer of Health.
Public Health Department,
7, Belsize Park Gardens, N.W.