Better babies and their careRichardson, Anna Steese
Science
Better babies and their care
Richardson, Anna Steese
Infants -- Care; Infants -- Health and hygiene
In addition to the tub there should be provided a large, but light,
pitcher, preferably of enameled ware, for carrying the water from the
bathroom or the kitchen to the nursery; a china or enameled bowl for
the boracic acid solution; castile soap; squares cut from old, clean
handkerchiefs, or old linen, for wash-cloths; a number of well-worn
soft towels; a bath thermometer for testing the temperature of the
water; medicine dropper for washing out baby’s eyes; shaker of talcum
powder; absorbent cotton and aseptic gauze for cleansing the nose,
ears, and mouth; soft hair-brush; and a needle and thread for sewing on
the bands.
The bath equipment should not be allowed to stand on the table between
baths. It should be kept, away from dust, in a closet or chest.
A word of caution about the bathtub which has been used for other
babies. When it is handed down from one baby to another, or perhaps
has been rescued from attic or cellar, the tub may be a bit battered
or rusty. If the paint is worn off, the rough spaces may offer a
lodging-place for germs. It is a very simple matter for some member of
the family to give the tub a fresh coat of enamel paint, which comes
for the purpose. This precaution may save the baby from irritations of
the skin, and the mother from wakeful hours.
Never use strong washing-powders to cleanse the tub, as they irritate
the skin.
Always throw away the cotton and aseptic gauze or old pieces of linen
used for washing the baby.
Never use new towels or new, rough wash-rags for bathing the tender
skin of the baby. Old fabrics, well washed, and dried either in the sun
or before the nursery fire, are much better.
Never use a sponge for the baby; it cannot be kept clean. A germ-laden
sponge may cause many forms of skin diseases, chafing and general
irritation.
Do not start the task of bathing until you have everything at hand. The
aprons, rubber and flannel, for the mother should be hanging over the
back of the chair; the equipment for the bath arranged on the table;
and the baby’s clean clothing hung to air and warm on the rack near the
fire.
The temperature of the room in which the bath is given should be at
least 70° F. The temperature of the water should be tested by the bath
thermometer. For the first eight weeks of the baby’s life the bath
thermometer should show that the water is 100° F. From two months to
six the temperature should be 98° F. From six to twenty-four it should
register from 85° to 90° F. The baby under two years old should never
be given what is known as a cold bath, even when it is suffering from
the effects of heat in the summer. A bath thermometer is a splendid
investment for any mother; but if it is not within the financial
possibilities, then the mother must test the bath very carefully by
thrusting her bare elbow into the water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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