Children well and happy : $b A manual for the Girl's Health LeagueKimball, May Dickinson
Science
Children well and happy : $b A manual for the Girl's Health League
Kimball, May Dickinson
Hygiene; Infants -- Health and hygiene
=Convulsions.= Anything which upsets the baby’s nervous system may
interfere with the process of digestion. This, as well as improper
food, constipation, or some acute illness may be the cause of
convulsions. When in a convulsion, the baby loses consciousness, the
legs and arms stiffen, and the facial muscles begin to twitch. Send
for a doctor at once. Meanwhile the baby should be placed in a tub of
warm water. If a thermometer is not at hand, some adult should always
test the temperature by placing her arm, up to the elbow, in the water.
Great care should be taken that the water is not too hot, as many
babies have been seriously burned in this way. The temperature of the
water should be slowly raised to 108° F. by adding hot water. A cold
compress should be placed on the child’s head and frequently changed.
When the convulsion ceases the child should be removed from the bath
and wrapped in a warm blanket, and his face should be bathed with cold
water. If necessary, he may be kept in the bath about twenty minutes.
If a child has convulsions and a tub is not available, he should be
wrapped in a large bath towel which has been dipped in water at a
temperature of 104° F., wrapped in a soft blanket, and the face and
hands should be bathed in cold water.
=Colic.= Colic, or a pain in the bowels, is indicated by a sharp,
spasmodic cry, a drawing up of the legs, and a contraction of the
muscles of the face and abdomen. The sufferer should be given a little
warm water to drink and should have a soft, hot flannel placed over the
abdomen and around the feet, or he should be laid on his stomach across
a hot-water bag which is protected by a cloth covering.
[Illustration: BATH THERMOMETER]
=Constipation.= It is important that the mother who is nursing a baby
should have a free movement of the bowels each day; if her bowels are
kept open and her digestion is good, the baby will not, as a rule, be
constipated. A little water given to the baby between feedings will
help to prevent constipation. Fruit juices, such as prune and orange
juice, should also be given. The most effective way of overcoming or
preventing constipation is to develop the habit of having the bowels
move at the same time each day. The baby should not be allowed to go
more than twenty-four hours without a movement. Except in emergency,
however, do not give the baby an enema or suppository or any medicine
unless ordered to do so by a physician.
=Enema.= An enema of two to four ounces of warm water, to which has
been added a little soapsuds and one or two tablespoonfuls of warm
olive oil, will usually cause a movement of the bowels.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account