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151
HACKNEY BOROUGH COUNCIL.
On the Care of Infants.
Advice to Mothers and Others in Charge of Infants.
During the last ten years the deaths of infants under one year
old in Hackney have averaged over 800 per year. A large number
of these deaths have been due to preventable causes, such as improper
feeding and clothing, and carelessness on the part of those
having the charge of infants. This, it is believed, has arisen mostly
from want of knowledge: therefore it has been thought desirable, in
the interest of Public Health, to attempt to supply this want by
compiling the following few rules for the guidance of young mothers
and others inexperienced in the proper feeding and care of infants.
1.—Inflammation in the Eyes of the New Born Child.
This is a very dangerous and infectious disease. It is the cause
of 36 per cent. of the total blindness of children. But it is quite
preventible by observing the following few simple rules:—
At birth the infant's eyes should be carefully washed by the
nurse or midwife. Each day during the next week, the infant's eyes
should be carefully examined, and if the eyelids show any redness
or swelling, or if there is any discharge from the eyes, a doctor
should be immediately sent for, and his instructions carefully
followed. In the meantime, the affected eye or eyes of the infant
should be gently washed, plain cold water and soft rag or cotton
wool being used for this purpose. The rag or wool must not be used
more than once, and must then be burnt. The same piece of rag or
wool must not be used for both eyes. Care must also be taken by the
nurse, midwife, or other person attending to the infant, not to
allow any discharge to get into her own eyes, because this discharge
is extremely infectious.
2.—Infant Feeding.
(a) Natural Feeding.—If possible, all infants from birth until
the time of weaning should be suckled by the mother, if she is
healthy. This is the best and natural form of infant feeding. During