You should always be suspicious if your baby has no teeth at the end of
the first year. A hearty baby should have six or eight, and if the soft
spot in the head just above the forehead is as much open as it was for
months previously you should be doubly suspicious. This soft spot should
be closed in a well-nourished infant between the fifteenth and twentieth
months. If in addition to this the child sweats about the head whenever it
sleeps, cries whenever it is handled (unless it has scurvy or rheumatism)
and does not like to play, the indications of rickets are very nearly
conclusive. Rickets is a constitutional disease showing itself in
different ways.
At what age does it usually occur? Between six months and two and one-half
years.
What are the causes of rickets? Improper food, or inability to absorb the
food, unhygienic conditions. Nursing babies who have a healthy mother are
not troubled with this disease unless she nurses too long into the second
year. Starchy foods, too little milk or other animal food, taking the
infant to the family table and allowing it to eat whatever it wants, these
are the most common errors in baby feeding which very often result in
rickets. Babies who are brought up on condensed milk, or other foods that
contain little fat are likely to have rickets. Insufficient clothing, damp
and badly ventilated buildings, a lack of out-door air and sunshine, and
inherited constitutional weakness, are other causes.
When do the most marked symptoms usually occur? Between the sixth or
fifteenth months.
What are the symptoms? Such children are likely to be nervous and
irritable; child's head sweats profusely at night, so much so that the
pillows are very wet. The chest is poorly shaped and frequently has
depressions at the sides, and little nodules or "beads" in the ribs where
the ribs and breast-bone join. The child's head is also peculiar. It is
often very flat on the top and measures more around than a normal child at
the same age. The forehead stands out and the sides and top are flattened.
The soft spot in the skull is large and late in closing. He is late in
cutting his teeth. His abdomen is generally large and prominent, pot
belly; his muscles are soft and flabby, and his wrists and ankles are
enlarged a little later. He takes cold easily. He is pale and anemic,
although he may be plump and fat, and when he begins to walk his legs bend
easily, and he will have bow-legs. When he sits, his back will look as if
curved and this alarms his parents, who may think his spine is diseased.
Is such a disease curable? Yes, if taken in time; you can arrest its
progress.
Do they ever die of rickets? Very seldom, but they do not stand other
diseases very well.
[ALL ABOUT BABY 615]
When and what shall I do for it? If you recognize the condition, have the
baby attended to immediately by a physician. The food should be
changed--such children require fats; very little starchy or sweet foods
allowed. A baby ten to twelve months old can suck a piece of boiled bacon
for a few minutes every day. Fruit juices can be given early, raw meat
juice once a day. Give him his tub bath daily, and if he is apt to take
cold easily he should have a little cold water dashed over his chest and
spine, followed by a gentle brisk rubbing to start up the circulation. Sun
baths are beneficial. Place the baby directly in the sun with his back to
it, for an hour every day. Give him plenty of air and sunshine, both
indoors and outdoors.
Medicine.--Cod liver oil is an excellent remedy with the hypophosphites.
Cod liver oil alone with calcarea phosphoricum 3X (homeopathic) is
splendid treatment also. The whole treatment must be continued for
months--calcarea phos. four times daily.
SCURVY.--This disease is sometimes seen in infants. It attacks infants who
have been fed for a long time on a proprietary food or else on milk that
has been over sterilized. Nursing children seldom have it, or those who
have been properly fed on modified cows' milk. Babies who are delicate and
poorly nourished are more subject to it. The first symptoms a mother
notices is that it seems to hurt very much when his legs are touched;
sometimes both hurt, and then again only one is painful; at other times
the arms will be most painful and again both arms and legs seem to pain
alike. So it goes on; the joints enlarge somewhat and sometimes little red
spots appear just under the skin and very often the gums will become red
and spongy; this is especially noticeable around the incisor teeth of the
upper gums, if they have already appeared. Rheumatism is very rarely seen
so early and with that, there is generally fever.
Treatment.--A cure is soon affected. Stop the patent food at once, or if
the milk has been sterilized, it must be discontinued and the baby put on
unsterilized milk diluted to the proper strength for his special age.
Strained juice of an orange should be given him every day; if under six
months he can have the juice of one-half an orange; over that the juice of
one orange. This is given in intervals during the day. Beef juice is good,
about two ounces in twenty-four hours. Smaller amount if necessary.
Improvement is noticed twenty-four to forty-eight hours after treatment.
MALNUTRITION. (Marasmus).--Marasmus is a term applied to infants who grow
thinner and thinner. No matter how much or little they eat there is a
constant wasting or fading away of the body.
What are the causes? Syphilis, tuberculosis, chronic vomiting, persistent
loose bowels, poor assimilation of the food. Marasmus is really a later
and more severe form of malnutrition.
Symptoms.--He looks shriveled, the skin is dry, eyes are sunken, anemia is
marked, the belly is much distended, while the other parts of the body
seem to be all bones and no flesh; he is constantly whining and fretful,
has a tired and anxious expression most of the time; under six months it
is hard to cure.
Treatment.--A physician is needed to watch over and prescribe, no set rule
can be given. Sometimes cod-liver oil or iron is needed. It needs constant
care and watching to cure this trouble.
[616 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]
CONVULSIONS.--Young children are more subject to convulsions than older
people. Convulsions may be due to brain trouble, but an overloaded stomach
is the first thing a doctor thinks of, and so the mother should remember
what was eaten that might be unusual.
First Thing for the Mother to do? Undress the baby and put him to bed in a
quiet room, and place an ice bag on his head, or wring cloths out of ice
water or very cold water and place them on baby's head, and change often
to keep them cold. Warm the feet with a hot water bag. If the doctor can
not be present soon, give baby a mustard foot bath in bed; use two
tablespoonfuls to a gallon of water, some advise stronger. If the
convulsions are severe wring towels out of mustard water and place a
rubber sheet on the bed and wrap the child's body and feet in the hot wet
towels until the parts are quite red, and afterward cover the body with
warm flannels. Have plenty of hot water ready, so the doctor can give a
full tub bath when he comes, if he thinks it necessary. If the child can
swallow, give him a teaspoonful of castor oil; or if the convulsions
continue, wash out the bowels or give an injection as soon as possible.
When is a hot bath needed and useful? If the convulsions have continued
until the pulse is weak, the face is very pale, the nails and lips blue,
the feet and hands cold: it will do good by bringing the blood to the
surface and relieve the brain, heart and lungs.
How shall I give it? Use a thermometer to see that the temperature of the
water is not over 106 degrees F.; if no thermometer is handy put your arm
into the water to your elbow. It should feel warm, but not so hot as to be
uncomfortable. Put one-half teacupful of powdered mustard in the tub.
Place the baby in the tub, body all covered, and hold the head out of the
water; keep him in the bath for five to ten minutes; wrap him in a blanket
and put into bed without drying.