HABITS AND TRAINING
=Suggestions for demonstrations.= =1.= Demonstrate how to protect
a baby from flies and mosquitoes when sleeping. =2.= Show how to
support a baby over a chamber.
Do not forget that during infancy life’s habits are being formed and
that this period is of greater educational importance than any other of
his life.
The normal baby is well and happy. Babies who are properly fed and
kept clean, who have plenty of sleep and fresh air and are trained in
regular habits, are usually well and good-natured. On the other hand,
if babies are fussy and restless most of the time, there is something
wrong. Patiently search for the cause of the trouble and see that it is
removed.
=Sleep.= A newborn baby sleeps about nine tenths of the time. He should
not be disturbed except for necessary care. After he has been made
comfortable and fed he should be laid in his crib and trained to go to
sleep without rocking and without a pacifier of any kind.
The daily amount of sleep required for different ages is approximately
as follows:
First month 18 to 20 hours
Second to sixth month 16 to 18 hours
Sixth month 14 to 16 hours
One to two years 12 to 14 hours
During the first year a nap in the middle of the forenoon, and another
in the afternoon, is desirable. The afternoon nap should not be so late
as to interfere with the night’s sleep.
A healthy baby sleeps with his mouth closed. Mouth breathing is caused
by some obstruction in the air passages, usually enlarged tonsils or
adenoids. Other signs of the presence of adenoids may be restlessness
at night, snoring during sleep, or frequent attacks of head colds. When
any one of these symptoms is present the child should be placed under a
physician’s care at once; otherwise its normal growth and health may be
seriously retarded.
[Illustration:
Back Tonsil From Which ADENOIDS GROW
Adenoids
AIRWAY AIRWAY
TUBE TO EAR EAR TUBE BLOCKED
FOODWAY FOODWAY
TONSIL SWOLLEN TONSIL
TONGUE TONGUE
FOOD & AIR FOOD & AIR
FOODWAY FOODWAY
AIRWAY
NOSE AND THROAT PASSAGES
Left, normal; right, abnormal]
The sleeping room should be dark, well ventilated, and quiet. The baby
should always be protected from drafts, but the air should be fresh
and cool. After being fed he should be placed on his side, and after
the next feeding, laid on the opposite side.
=Sleeping out.= After a baby is six weeks old he should take his naps
out of doors when the weather permits. He should be protected from
flies and mosquitoes and shielded from the sun, wind, and dust. Remove
the shoes and loosen the clothing before placing him in his crib. If
the weather is cool, his feet and body must be kept warm.
=Bowel movement.= The baby’s first stools are of tarlike consistency,
with little or no odor. After a day or two the stools change to a light
yellow in color, are soft in consistency, and have little or no odor.
During the first week the bowels move two or three times a day. As the
child grows older, one or two movements a day will be sufficient.
The mother should begin to train the baby to use a chamber as early as
the third month. He should be placed on a small chamber held between
the mother’s knees, his back being supported against her body. In order
to form the habit of having the bowels move regularly this should be
done at the same hour each day. If the bowels do not move, insert a
soap or glycerine suppository into the rectum. This will help direct
the baby’s attention to the reason for his being placed on the vessel,
and the suppository starts the bowels moving. This habit is soon
established. The child should be placed on the chamber after the early
morning feeding and again in the afternoon.
=Bladder.= Habits of regularity in emptying the bladder may be formed
by placing the baby on the vessel every three or four hours during the
day and the last thing at night.
=Thumb sucking.= The habit of thumb or finger sucking begins in early
infancy and may continue until the child is six or eight years old if
it is not broken. If persisted in, it may cause marked deformities of
the jaws and teeth. When the thumb or finger is put into the mouth it
should be gently but firmly removed. By this method the habit will be
gradually overcome. It may be necessary to pin the sleeves to the side
of the dress, so that the arms cannot be raised.
=Pacifier.= Never use a rubber nipple, sugar ball, or any other
pacifier.
=Kissing.= Under no circumstances should anyone kiss a baby on the
mouth. Common colds, tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles,
and many other diseases are transmitted in this way. Remember that
disease may be present in the secretions of the mouth and nose and on
the lips.
=Crying.= A well baby never cries without cause. Normal crying is
loud and forceful, and the mother will soon learn to distinguish it
from the cry of pain, hunger, or discomfort. A baby has no other way
of expressing his needs—therefore his cry should be heeded. When he
cries the mother should see that he is made comfortable, that his hands
and feet are warm, that his diaper is not wet, and that no pins are
pricking him. Often merely a change of position is sufficient to quiet
him. Do not take him up at the first cry; most babies like to be held
and will often cry simply to be taken up.
=Cry due to colic.= The cry of colic is sharp and spasmodic. The baby
will draw his legs up, and the muscles of the abdomen will be hard and
tense.
=Cry due to hunger.= The normal cry of hunger is heard some time before
the feeding is due, and is accompanied by the sucking of the thumb or
the fingers. If the baby is not getting sufficient nourishment, the
cry of hunger is a continuous fretful sound and is heard soon after a
feeding.
=Cry due to temper.= The cry of temper is loud and strong; the baby
usually kicks, and his body stiffens. This is easily recognized,
because when the baby gets what he wants he will stop at once. When a
baby cries from temper let him cry it out. The struggle will not be
long, because he will soon learn that this crying is useless.
=Cry due to illness or fright.= The cry of most forms of illness is
low, moaning, and fretful. The cry of fright is sudden and loud. The
child should be taken up, comforted, and put down again as soon as he
is quieted. In all cases of persistent crying the doctor should be
called if the mother does not succeed in her attempts at quieting.
=Exercise.= The young baby gets his exercise by crying (which expands
his lungs), also by kicking and waving the arms. It is important that
the clothing should not be so tight as to interfere with these natural
movements.
[Illustration: BABY EXERCISING]
When he is in short clothes, at regular times each day he should be
placed on the floor, on a thick blanket, and allowed to roll and creep
about at will.
Twice a day if possible, but always just before bedtime, the baby
should be placed on a large bed in a warm room with all his clothing
removed, and should be encouraged to kick and play for ten or fifteen
minutes. He may be played with at this time, but must not be permitted
to become excited.