The Omaha Sunday Bee
PART TWO
EDITORIAL
PAGES ONE TO TWELVE
PART TWO
SOCIETY
PAGES ONE TO TWELVE
VOL. XLV NO.
OMAIIA, SUNDAY MOKNINO, AUGUST 1, 1015.
SINGLE, COPY FIVE CENTS.
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The Bee's Free Milk and Ice Fund for
hot weather babies in deserving poor fam
ilies is working in co-operation with these
Baby Health Stations. Contributions in
sums from 10 cents to $5.00 are solicited
and will be acknowledged in these columns.
By ELIiA FLEISHMAN.
YOU REMEMBER the cowboys In "The Vir
ginian' who, on mischief bent, switched
babies on two unsuspecting mothers T
That lark has gone down In history, but
those Incorrigible persons would have a
hard time repeating the performance at either of
the recently Installed baby welfare stations main
tained by the Visiting Nurse association.
Oh, what a world of babies I Babies, blue-eyed
and dark-eyed, curly and Just fussy-headed, smil
ing, or squalling, sickly, pale and underfed or
healthyy-hearty, bouncing youngsters gurgling,'
cooing or crowing lustily. Some are rosy-lipped,
rosy-fingered cherubs with velvety, satiny skins
and chubby fists, whose infantile clutch one can't
resist. Some have veritable flower faces, others
are Just babies. All are cuddlesome, fondlesome,
frail bits of humanity, so appeallngly tender In
their helplessness. Are there many babies T Ok,
yes, but there are many pore who come to the
baby welfare stations.
Here anxious-eyed mothers, some of them
scarcely able to grasp the doctor's Instructions be
cause they lack knowledge in English, strain for
the attendants' health-giving words of wisdom. No
longer need little ones swell the rate of infant
mortality or grow up suffering because of young
mothers' Ignorance of health laws. Neither do
they "Jes grow," like Topsy In "Uncle Tom's
Cabin."
For twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, be
tween 10 and 11 o'clock, in the heart of "Little
Italy" at Sixth and Pierce streets, and Tuesdays
and Fridays at the same hour, at 1604 North
Twenty-fourth street. Dr. Newell Jones gives a
lecture and demonstration on baby welfare sub
jects. With the assistance of Visiting Nurses each
child is given a thorough examination, his case
diagnosed and catalogued and a prescription given
if necessary.
Instruction In baby feeding and hygiene is the
rrlnelpal Item for improper feeding; either over
feeding or under-feeding is responsible for most
Infantile disorders, it has been found.
The babies are weighed, measured, thumped
and felt eyes, ears, nose and throat examined
carefully each week. Most of them submit docilely,
gurgling and cooing during the whole performance,
but occasionally the combined efforts of nurse and
Table of Growth
mother are necessary to quell the miniature upris
ing of youngsters who squirm and crawl and ob
ject to being thumped, weighed and measured.
Miss Bessie Randall, superintendent of the
Visiting Nurse association, is the mentor of the
buby health stations. She it was who argued the
advantage of the baby stations from which
knowledge of infant hygiene radiates into the
homes, as against the baby camps previously spon
sored by the visiting nurses.
"While the baby camps proved of inestimable
value to the child while it was under our care,"
she 'says', "the mother gained nothing by having
the responsibility of its care shifted from her shoul
ders and when the child was returned to her It
actually suffered because of the return to un
healthy surroundings.
"Now the mother brings her infant to the
station. This forms an avenue of approach. Then
If special care. or Instruction is needed the nurse
goes Into the home."
This Indefatigable worker admits, however,
that winning the confidence of the mothers is no
easy task. One little Italian mother who brought
her baby to the station all dressed up in a white,
accordion-pleated, brocaded satin work of art was
highly incensed when the aforesaid work of art was
deftly slipped off and the nurse made preparations
to bathe the baby in the prescribed manner.
"You don't wash my baby. I wash her," she
gesticulated.
When the nurse explained the necessity of
cleansing the pores, flushing the colon and other
items of baby welfare, the voluble mother subsided
and thanked the nurse.
So thoroughly has Dr. Jones won the hearts of
the sunny southerners that when he went on his
vacation several weeks ago the Italian statlonbad
to be closed after several attempts because' the
mothers would not bring their Infants to be ex
amined by any other physician.
The Jewish mothers are slow in bringing their
babies to the station because they think it is a
charitable institution or a clinic where their chil
dren will be experimented upon. "As soon as they
realize it is only for the baby's good they will flock
here in great numbers," said Dr. Jones.
Six-month-old Ruth Ehlers is known as the
prise baby at the welfare station, not having missed
one week since the opening of the post.
"Baby la gaining every week since I began to
bring her here," said the mother. "She Is a bottle
baby, and I had been feeding her Imperial Granum
according to directions on the package, but she was
becoming 111 and puny. Here" learned that while
I had been feeding her too often, her food was not
nourishing enough. The directions did not fit her
requirements. She la thriving beautifully now. I
wish more mothers would bring their sick babies."
Ruth is a fuszy-halred, blue-eyed mite whose
smile, though toothless, was enough to win the
heart.
Bulletins printed in English and in Yiddish are
posted on the windows of the Twenty-fourth street
station and are left in the drug stores, grocery
stores and other shops in the vicinity. In the Ital
ian neighborhood similar notices in Italian Inform
the reader of the station which Is maintained in
Salerno's hall, the meeting place of Little Italy.
The notices read that the stations have been
opened for children under two years of age suffer
ing from stomach and bowel complaints, but the
doctor and nurses are called upon to respond to all
cases, which they do with a will.
A dark-eyed Jewish mother hovered in the
doorway with little Marie, 2 years and 8 months
old. She had read the notices and she was doubtful
whether her little girl would be cared for.
"Oh, yes. Come in," smiled the kindly nurse.
Little Marie was afraid of the doctor because,
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L 1 Jewish Li. A )
la , Type h - X
Age.
Birth
1 week .
2 weeks
3 weeks
1 month
i months
3 months
4 months
6 months
6 months
7 months
8 months
9 months
10 months
11 months
year
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
years
1
2
3
4
6
6
7
8
8
10
11
12
Height.
19 inches
20 M Inches
21 inches
22 Inches
23 Inches
23 Vs inches
24 Inches
Uhi inches
25 inches
25 M Inches
26 inches
26 inches
27 Inches
31 inches
35 inches
37 Inches
7
7
7
8
8 Lbs.
10 Lbs.
12 Lbs.
13 Lbs.
16 Lbs.
16 Lbs.
17 Lbs.
18 Lbs.
18 Lbs.
19 Lbs.
20 Lbs.
2 1V Lbs.
Weight.
Lbs. 8 Oz.
Lbs. 7 k Oz.
Lbs. 10 Oz.
Lbs. 2 Oi.
her mother explained, apologetically, she had but
ro'cently had her tons'ls removed and feared doc
tors ever since. The little one cried bitterly while
being examined, but a few Jingling coins restored
her to good nature. Very explicit directions for
the feeding and care of this child and even a pre
scription was given, because the child wss found to
be troubled with rickets..
Three-months-old Evelyn Rogers had been 111 all
right and the poor young mother was spent from
her anxious vigil. The doctor eased her mind and
assured her that It was only a little bowel trouble
that would easily be rectified.
As the mothers sit waiting their turn, the
babies cuddled close In their arms, they grow easily
chatty and exchange bits of parental wisdom or
else ready sympathy for the babies' afflictions. In
terest in their babies' weight, do they chance to be
nearly the same age, Is universal. .
A little vaseline here, a little olive oil there,
temperatures, milk bottles, prune or orange Juice,
castor oil and similar terms, dear or hateful to in
fantile hearts, la the only language spoken at the
baby health stations. Care of the child, keeping it
clean and cool, and the sterilizing and washing of
bottles are especially emphasized by doctor ' and
nurse. ,
I absorbed a great deal of "baby-ology" while
I hovered about the health stations. I watched a
sure-fingered nurse deftly slipping an infant's robe
on feet first instead of the head, because it is
gulcker and doesn't annoy the baby. Not a whim
per did the roly-poly youngster utter during the
whole performance. You try it, mothers, and see.
Here are some more "don 'ts" I learned at the
baby stations:
"Don't use a pacifier."
"Don't be niggardly of fresh air and sunlight
for the baby."
"Don't give the baby ice water."
"Don't give It Ice-cold milk."
"Don't give any food but milk until the baby la
nine months old."
"Don't swaddle the baby in coverings. ' Light,
13 yeart
14 years
15 years
16 years
40
43
45
47
49
61
53
55
67
69
61
63
inches
Inches
inches
inches
inches
Inches
inches
Inches
inches
inches
Inches
Inches
27
82
36
40
44
48
53
68
64
70
79
88
100
109
117
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
Lbs.
I ISiil, II
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Weighing the
iaby comes first
srm clothing or covers are best."
"Don't let tho baby sleep In a draught."
"Don't neglect to bathe the baby several times
a day during hot weather."
"Don't overlook troublesome tonsils and ade
noids. They are enemies of baby welfare."
"A tablespoonful of prune or orange Juice is
best to start with after the baby is nine months
old, but don't give It immediately after the baby
has drunk milk and don't give more than a table
spoon."
It is for the benefit of such helpless little mites,
some of whom come to the baby stations and to
'vhom pure milk and ice during the hot summer
days would be an unknown quantity, that The Bee's
free milk and ice fund is devoted.
"Better Babies" that's the slogan. Here's to
them I
Standard Baby Diets
(From One Year to Eighteen Months.)
BREAKFAST (6 to 7. a. m.)-(l) Eight to 10
ounces of milk with stale bread broken In it.
(2) Two to 3 tablespoonfuls of well cooked
porridge of oatmeal, arrowroot, wheaten grits,
hominy grits, farina, etc., or one of the numer
ous good breakfast foods on the market, with 8
to 10 ounces of milk poured over It. (3) A.
soft-boiled or poached egg with bread, thinly
buttered, and a cup of milk.
SECOND MEAL (10 a. m.) Eight to 10 ounces of
milk from a cup or bottle.
DINNER (1:30 to 2 p. m.) (1) Bread moistened
with dish-gravy (no fat), beef-tea, or beef.
Juice, 1 to 2 ounces (Appendix, 25); a cup of
milk. (2) Rice or grits moistened in the same
way; a cup of milk. (3) A soft-boiled egg and
stale bread thinly buttered; a cup of milk.
Sago, tapioca or rice pudding (no raisins), corn
starch or Junket in small quantities as dessert
with any of these diets.
FOURTH MEAL (6 to 6 p. m.) A cup of milk, tt
some bread or toast and milk.
FIFTH MEAL (9 to 10 p. m.) A cup or. bottle of
milk.
(From Eighteen Months to Two Years.)
BREAKFAST (7 a. m.) (I) Eight to 10 ounces
of milk with a slice of bread and butter, or a
soda, Graham, oatmeal or similar biscuit.
(2) A soft-boiled or poached egg with bread
and butter and a cup of milk. (3) Porridge as
described in the previous list.
SECOND MEAL (10 a. m.) (1) Bread broken la
milk. (2) Bread and butter or a soda or other
biscuit with a cup of milk.
DIN I (2 p. m.) (1) Boiled rice or a baked
I -aio mashed and moistened with dish-gravy
or lecf-Julce, 2 to 3 ounces; a glass of milk,
(2) Six to 8 ounces of mutton-broth or chicken
broth with barley or rice in it; some bread and
butter, zwieback, or toast, and some cornstarch,
custard, sago or rice-pudding made with milk.
(3) One-half to 1 tablespoonful of minced white
meat of chicken or turkey, or minced rare roast
beef, beefsteaak lamb, mutton or fish; bread
and butter; a cup of milk.
FOURTH MEAL (5 to 6 p. m.) (1) Bread and
milk. (2) Bread and butter and a cup of milk.
(3) Two to 3 tablespoonfuls of a cereal por
ridge with 8 to 10 ounces of milk,
(