The Mother and Her ChildSadler, William S. (William Samuel)
Science
The Mother and Her Child
Sadler, William S. (William Samuel)
Child care; Infants -- Care; Infants -- Health and hygiene; Pregnancy
This whole subject can best be illustrated by relating a story, the
actual experience of Mrs. A. This patient came to the office with a
history of Bright's disease (albumin and casts in the urine), and
chronic appendicitis. While treating her for the kidney condition,
preparatory to an operation for the removal of the troublesome
appendix--in the very midst of this treatment--she became pregnant,
and great indeed was our dismay. We entertained little hope of getting
both the mother and child safely through. Frequent examination of
urine was instituted, the albumin did not increase and the
blood-pressure remained at normal--about 124 mm. She paid weekly or
bi-weekly visits to the office and carefully followed the regime
outlined. She drank abundantly of water and strictly followed the
dietary prescribed. Weeks and months passed uneventful, until we
approached the last six weeks of pregnancy, and then we found to our
surprise one day that the blood-pressure had made a sudden jump up to
175 mm., while the urine revealed the presence of numerous casts and
albumin--in the meantime the albumin had entirely disappeared. There
were also other urinary findings which showed that the liver was not
doing its share in the work of burning up certain poisons.
In her home we began the following program: Every day we had her
placed in a bathtub of hot water, keeping cold cloths upon her brow,
face and neck, and then, by increasing the temperature of the bath, we
produced a very profuse perspiration. She was taken out of this bath
and wrapped in blankets, thus continuing the sweat. All meat, baked
beans, and such foods as macaroni and other articles containing a high
per cent of protein were largely eliminated from her diet. At times
she did not even eat bread. Her chief diet was fruit, vegetables, and
simple salads, and yet the albumin and casts continued to increase in
the urine and the blood-pressure climbed up to 190 mm.
As we approached the last two weeks of pregnancy, this little woman
was taken to the hospital and systematic daily treatment with sweating
procedures was begun. Among other things, she had a daily electric
light bath. After each of these baths she was wrapped in blankets and
the sweating continued for some time. Careful estimations of albumin
were made daily and the blood-pressure findings noted three times a
day. During the last week of pregnancy she lived on oranges and
grapes. Day by day she was watched until the eventful hour arrived.
She went into the delivery room and gave birth to a perfectly normal
child. The albumin and casts quickly cleared up, the blood-pressure
lowered, and today the little woman is a fond mother of a beautiful
baby boy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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