The maternal management of children, in health and diseaseBull, Thomas
Science
The maternal management of children, in health and disease
Bull, Thomas
Child care
THE WARM BATH.--More reliance may be placed upon the above measure to
restore animation, than upon the warm bath. Still this is sometimes
useful, and therefore must not be neglected. Whilst inflation is going
on, the bath may be got ready, then resorted to, and if unsuccessful,
inflation may and ought again to be followed up.[FN#28] If the bath is
useful at all, it will be so immediately upon putting the infant into
it; respiration will be excited, followed by a cry; and if this does
not occur at once, it would be wrong to keep the child longer in the
bath, as it would be only losing valuable time which ought to be
devoted to other efforts. The temperature of the bath should be about
100 degrees; and if, upon plunging the infant into it, it fortunately
excite the respiratory effort, it should then be taken out, rubbed with
dry but hot flannels, and, when breathing is fully established, laid in
a warm bed, or, what is still better, in its mother's bosom; letting
it, however, have plenty of air.
[FN#28] We should not relinquish our endeavours at resuscitation
under two or three hours, or even longer; and if ultimately
successful, the state of the infant should be carefully watched for two
or three days.
INJURIES RECEIVED DURING BIRTH.
If a labour be long and tedious, the head and body of the child may be
bruised and disfigured.
The shape of the head is frequently altered by the compression it has
undergone, so that it may be elongated, and measure from the chin to
the back of the head as much as six or seven inches. This always
excites surprise, sometimes apprehension, in the minds of the
attendants: there is no ground for it. It must be allowed to regain its
natural shape without interference.
Tumours or swellings upon the head are very common. They arise from
pressure upon the part during the labour. The only treatment that is
required, or safe, is, freedom from all pressure, and the application
of cold lotions composed of brandy or vinegar and water. The swelling
will gradually subside. It will be right to direct the attention of the
medical man to this circumstance.
The face may be frightfully disfigured from the above cause,
exceedingly black, and the features distorted. Nothing is necessary
here; in a few days the face will recover its proper appearance.
RETENTION OF URINE.
Occasionally an infant will not pass any urine for many hours after
its birth. This most frequently arises from the fact of none being
secreted. In the last case of this kind that I was called to, three
days had elapsed since birth, and no urine had been passed; it proved
that none had been secreted. Sometimes, however, it is the effect of
another cause, which the use of the warm bath will be found to remove,
which should always therefore be employed four and twenty hours after
the birth of the infant, if it has not by that time passed any water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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