The Care and Feeding of Children Part 4

DENt.i.tION

_How many teeth are there in the first set?_

Twenty.

_What is the time of their appearance?_

The two central lower teeth are usually the first to appear, and come from the fifth to the ninth month; next are the four upper central teeth, which come from the eighth to the twelfth month. The other two lower central teeth and the four front double teeth come from the twelfth to the eighteenth month. Then follow the four canine teeth, the two upper ones being known as the "eye teeth," and the two lower as the "stomach teeth"; they generally come between the eighteenth and the twenty-fourth month. The four back double teeth, which complete the first set, come between the twenty-fourth and thirtieth month.

At one year a child usually has six teeth.

At one and a half years, twelve teeth.

At two years, sixteen teeth.

At two and a half years, twenty teeth.

_What are the causes of variation?_

The time of appearance of the teeth varies in different families; in some they come very early, in others much later. The teeth may come late as a result of prolonged illness and also from rickets.

_What symptoms are commonly seen with teething?_

In healthy children there is very often fretfulness and poor sleep for two or three nights; there may be loss of appet.i.te, so that only one half the usual amount of food is taken; there is salivation or drooling, and often slight fever; there may be some symptoms of indigestion, such as vomiting or the appearance of undigested food in the stools. In delicate children all these symptoms may be much more severe.

_How long do these symptoms last?_

Usually only three or four days; but there may be no gain in weight for two or three weeks.

_What is the cause of most of the other symptoms attributed to teething?_

Nearly all of them come from indigestion due to bad feeding.

PART II

INFANT FEEDING

_What is the best infant food?_

Mother's milk.

_Of what is mother's milk composed?_

Thirteen parts solids and eighty-seven parts water.

_What are the solids?_

Fat, sugar, proteids, and salts.

_What is the fat?_

The cream.

_What is the sugar?_

It is lactose, or milk sugar.

_What are the proteids?_

The curd of the milk.

_Are all these elements necessary?_

Yes; we cannot expect to rear a healthy infant unless they are all in his food.

_Of what use is the fat?_

It is needed for the growth of the bones, the nerves, the fat of the body, and the production of heat.

_Of what use is the sugar?_

It is needed for the production of heat, and to make fat in the body.

_Of what use are the proteids?_

They are needed for the growth of the cells of the body, such as those of the blood, the various organs, and the muscles.

_Of what use are the salts?_

Particularly for the growth of bone.

_Of what use is the water?_

By means of the water the food is kept in a state of minute subdivision or in solution, so that the delicate organs of a young infant can digest it. It is also necessary to enable the body to get rid of its waste.

NURSING

_Should all mothers attempt to nurse their children?_

As a rule they should do so, but there are many conditions when they should not.

_What are the most important ones?_

If the mother has or has had tuberculosis or any other serious chronic disease, or is herself in very delicate health, she should not try.

She is likely soon to fail in nouris.h.i.+ng her child, and the attempt may do herself much harm as well as injure the child.

_How often should infants be nursed during the first two days of life?_