Mother's Remedies Part 143

How long does it usually last? Usually three or four months, but it may last during the whole pregnancy.

What can be done for it? In some cases arranging the diet to prevent and cure constipation relieves it. For fuller treatment see this heading under Obstetrics.

Does it ever endanger life? Not often, but a physician should be called if it is bad.

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Can any strict rules be laid down for this trouble? No, but the food should be as concentrated as possible; egg-nog, ice cream, a bit of rare steak, etc., raw oysters, gruels, meat broths, etc., if liquids are well borne. It is surprising how little will keep up some women during pregnancy.

When and how often should the urine be examined? From the beginning and twice each month, and every week after the fifth month.

When should the nurse be called? Long enough before the expected time to get everything ready.

What is lightening? It is caused by the womb sinking down lower in the pelvis the last month, and this lightens the pressure upon the diaphragm and lungs.

What are false pains? They occur during the last few weeks of pregnancy at irregular intervals and are usually in the abdomen.

What is the bag of waters? It is a sac containing the fluid in which the child floats while in the womb. The amount of fluid varies from a pint to a gallon or more. When it ruptures there is a sudden flow of liquid, more or less continuous flow. It may occur at the very beginning of labor and is one of the signs of labor.

What are the other signs of approaching labor? A profuse discharge of mucus from the v.a.g.i.n.a, and this may be tinged with blood. The "show" pains begin generally in the back and are quite regular, one every twenty minutes or half hour. (Dilatation of the womb).

How should the baby be first washed? See Obstetrics.

What clothing should be put on? See Obstetrics chapter.

Care of the eyes.--Wipe the eyelids with clean gauze and water. If there has been much discharge from the v.a.g.i.n.a during pregnancy, the child's eyes should be washed cleanly and also one or two drops of the one per cent solution of silver nitrate should be put into each eye as a preventive.

(See Obstetrics).

How often should the baby's bowels move? Two or three times daily for the first week, and then once or twice a day.

What is the appearance of the stool? It is soft, yellow and smooth and should not contain any lumps.

How about the urine? It should pa.s.s from six to ten times a day, and it should be colorless.

What is the average weight of a healthy baby? Seven to seven and one-half pounds.

Does it lose any weight during the first week? Yes, generally a few ounces, then it begins to gain at the rate of four to six ounces each week.

Should the newly-born babe have its eyes exposed to the light? The eyes are very sensitive, and the sun or artificial light should not be allowed to s.h.i.+ne on them. The first day the baby is deaf, but his hearing develops and becomes very acute so that he is very much disturbed by sudden, sharp noises.

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What is the "soft" spot on a baby's head? This is called the "fontanelle."

Do not touch this spot. This closes in time. At six months of age the fontanelle is somewhat larger than it was at birth because the brain expands faster than the boney matter deposited around the edges in the skull bones. After this another deposit of bone goes on more rapidly than the growth of the brain substance, and by sixteen or eighteen months the opening should be entirely closed.

When should the baby be given the second tub bath? Not until the cord has dropped off.

How and when should this be given? The room should be warm. The head and face should be washed first and dried; then the body soaped and the infant placed in the tub with its head and body well supported by the hands. The bath should be given quickly with no special rubbing, drying with a soft towel. (An hour after feeding).

What should be the temperature of the bath? One hundred degrees F. for the first few weeks, later ninety-eight F. After six months ninety-five F.; during the second year from eighty-five to ninety degrees F.

What should you use in giving the bath? Soft, clean sponges or smooth cloths. There should be separate pieces for each eye, for the head, face and b.u.t.tocks.

What are the objections to sponges? They are very apt to become dirty and are hard to keep clean.

When should the daily bath be omitted? In the case of infants who are delicate and feeble, when the bath seems to harm them; in all forms of acute sickness, unless the bath is directed. In eczema and many other forms of skin diseases a great deal of harm is often done by soap and water or water baths.

How should a genuine bath be given? If possible the bath should be given in front of an open fire, in a room where the temperature is from seventy to seventy-two F. and the draughts kept off by a large screen. Have everything at hand with which to give the bath. A folding rubber bath-tub is the best, next a papier-mache one; or if tin must be used, put a piece of flannel in the tub to protect the baby from the tin. If necessary place the tub on a low table, place another low table to the right of the one on which the tub sets, and on this table should be the baby's basket containing a soft brush, different sizes of pins in a pin-cus.h.i.+on, several threaded needles, a thimble, squares of soft linen, absorbent cotton, wooden tooth-picks, a powder-box and puff, or a powder-shaker containing pure talc.u.m powder, a box of bis.m.u.th subnitrate, one of cold cream, a tube of white vaselin, a dish containing castile, ivory, or pure French soap should be placed by the basket on the table; also a cup containing a saturated solution of boric acid; two cheese-cloth washcloths, a soft towel, a thermometer to test the water, several toothpicks on which a little absorbent cotton is twisted, and the rolled flannel band. Then a basin containing warm water, 98 to 100 degrees F., also one with cold water. The baby-clothes should be hung on a rack close at hand.

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How to take care of a sore navel.--If it looks red or has a thin discharge coming from it, wash it carefully twice a day with saturated solution of boric acid; or if pus is there use a 1-5000 solution of b.i.+.c.hloride of mercury. Use for a dusting powder one part of salicylic acid and nineteen parts of starch on it. It needs a physician's attention if it does not soon heal.

Do any physicians advocate a daily bath before the cord drops off? Yes; but not a full tub bath.

When does the cord drop off? In from five to ten days.

Does soap hurt a baby's skin? Some doctors claim it does.

Is it necessary to use a powder after the bath? No, if all moisture is removed, there is no need of powder. The skin can be kept cleaner and healthier without it.

GENITAL ORGANS.

When is circ.u.mcision needed? Usually when the foreskin is very long and very tight, so that one must use force to push it back, and always if it produces local irritation.

How should you clean the genitals of a female child? Use good absorbent cotton and warm water, with a solution of boric acid if necessary, about two teaspoonfuls to a pint of warm water. This should be done once a day.

Is the hood of the c.l.i.toris ever too tight? Yes, and it needs to be loosened and kept so, or it will produce irritation and sometimes convulsions.

How should you wash the genitals of a male child? In infants and children, this should be attended to daily. The foreskin should be pushed back and the parts washed with absorbent cotton and water. Tight foreskin and unclean parts induce trouble and bad habits.

TREATMENT FOR SORE EYES.

How should a newly-born baby's eyes be treated? They should be kept clean with a soft cloth and warm water. Do not use the same piece of cloth for both eyes.

Should redness and pus appear in the eye or eyes a few days after birth, what should be done? Use a piece of soft linen or absorbent cotton and wet it in a solution of boric acid or salt (one-half teaspoonful to one pint of water, warm) and wash out the eye or eyes, and if pus appears, use a stronger solution of boric acid (ten grains to eight teaspoonfuls of water.) If the lids stick together grease them with vaselin from a tube and rub in at night. If the sore eyes are severe send for a physician as it may be the beginning of ophthalmia neonatorum.

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MOTHERS' REMEDIES.--1. Sore Eyes, Mothers' Milk for.--"There is nothing as good as mother's milk." This is very soothing and healing and seems to work better than medicines in small babies.

2. Sore Eyes. A Nurse from New York sends the following remedy for.--"Take a cup of water that has been boiled and cooled and dissolve in it one teaspoonful boracic acid powder. Bathe the eyes thoroughly and often." A nurse in New York state, gives this recipe, and says she has been a nurse for several years and has never had a case of sore eyes which did not heal with this treatment.

How is was.h.i.+ng out the baby's mouth done? Use a swab made by twisting some absorbent cotton upon a toothpick. The folds between the gums and lips and cheeks may be gently and carefully cleaned twice a day unless the mouth is sore.