The well-being of a baby during the first year of life is mainly dependent on three factors:

1. That the baby is healthy and well nourished when born.
2. That the baby's mother is healthy and strong.
3. That the baby receives care as to correct feeding and general hygiene, and is made to form regular habits.

The baby that is born robust and healthy will give little cause for anxiety; and provided he is given plenty of fresh air with correct food and sleep at regular times he will be happy and contented.

In order that the baby may be given every opportunity of being strong and well nourished when he is born, it is essential that the mother should be healthy, should eat nourishing food, and lead a careful life during the period of pregnancy. The mother's blood circulates through the baby in her womb and supplies the baby with food on which he lives and builds up his body tissues. It is very necessary that the mother's blood shall not contain any impurities or poisons which can be eliminated, as otherwise these too will be taken to the baby in the blood stream. Common causes of such impurities are bad teeth, pyorrhoea, septic tonsils causing sore throat, and various poisons from the bowel due to constipation. If the mother suspects she is suffering from any of these conditions or does not feel generally well and strong, she should consult her doctor or dentist in order that these conditions should be removed. If she neglects to do this, then she is imposing a severe handicap on the future good health of her baby. The mother should lead an active life, taking exercise and spending as much time as possible in the open air. She should eat good plain and nourishing food--excessive eating is wrong--with plenty of fresh fruit, good butter, milk and eggs, not too much meat and little sugar, jam or pastry, little tea or coffee and no alcohol. She should sleep with her windows open, and it is essential that she should have unbroken sleep during the night. Life in the fresh air with reasonable exercise, absence of constipation, going to bed at regular and early hours will inculcate the habit of restful slumber. During the last three months of pregnancy it is advisable for the mother to rest in the morning and in the afternoon. This will help to alleviate any tendency towards varicose veins and "white leg."

The expectant mother should wear warm, loose, and light clothing. All her clothes should be suspended from the shoulders and nothing tight or constrictive should be worn around her body such as garters, corsets, or brassières.

In order that the baby may have no difficulty in obtaining natural food, unless for some reason this is not available, it is necessary to prepare the breasts and nipples. The nipples must be hardened during in the time of pregnancy; in this way cracked nipples and the risk of abscess in the breast will be avoided. The breasts should be washed daily with tepid water, finishing off with cold water. The nipples themselves should be rubbed with a soft toothbrush using a good quality soap such as Pears'--not an ordinary soap. Care should be taken to dry the nipples thoroughly with a clean towel, especially around their bases. A little gentle massage should be applied to the breasts themselves each day and the nipples pulled out and moulded between the finger and thumb. Retracted nipples can be improved by the use of a breast pump. When the breasts become heavy towards the end of pregnancy they should be supported by a sling hung from around the neck. They must not be constricted by means of a binder.

One of the great joys of expectant motherhood is the planning and preparation of the first clothes for baby. These must be dainty and attractive; but they must also be serviceable.

They should be light, warm, and non-irritating to the skin, and loose enough to permit of free movement of baby's little limbs. There must be no tight constricting bands which would in any way interfere with the movements of either the chest or abdomen. It is essential that baby should be able to breathe and expand his lungs without any restriction, and also be able to exercise his legs and arms unhampered by either heavy or tight clothes.

Baby should be clothed in three layers:

First Layer

This should comprise a vest made of a mixture of silk and wool. Pure wool should not be used, as it is often irritating to the skin. The vest should be long in the body, fit high up around the neck and have long sleeves. It should be made to open down the front and to wrap over and tie at the neck and waist.

Second Layer

This is a back flannel which also ties in front. The edges of the flannel should be bound with tape or ribbon, and the texture light and loosely woven. The top around the chest should be made of a double layer of the material so that the baby's back is supported. The lower end should be turned up over the baby's feet and fastened with a safety-pin. Plenty of room should be left so that baby can move and stretch his legs, and care should be taken to see that the vest underneath is pulled down, as otherwise it will ruck up away from the napkin and cause discomfort.

Third Layer

This is the frock, and is made preferably of silk and wool or superfine wool; or, for the summer, of lawn or silk. The frock should be about 24 in. long. In cold weather a matinée coat should be worn. A small head-shawl should be worn in very cold weather; in this way the back of the head, the neck and arms are protected. It is not desirable for the baby to wear a bonnet. It is most desirable to permit the sunlight and air to reach the baby's scalp and hair; and if he does not wear a bonnet, his head will be accustomed to exposure and will not feel the cold any more than his face. A baby who wears a bonnet is much more susceptible to draughts when indoors; and, further, a bonnet tends to cause scurf and eczema of the scalp. If the body flannel is folded properly around the feet it is not necessary for baby to wear woollen boots. It is better not to constrict the feet, as they are easily made unshapely, and a tight woollen boot hinders the blood circulation. A soft light and warm woollen shawl, preferably made of Shetland wool, should be provided to roll loosely round baby when he is taken out of doors. No binder or body belt should be worn. They are unnecessary and restrict the free movement of the abdomen.

The baby should wear a silk and wool vest and a woollen nightdress which should be tied in front, so that, when he lies on his back in the cot, there is no knot to make him uncomfortable. No pillow is necessary; and the cot clothes should be light in weight, as otherwise baby's sleep is restless.

• 4 long-sleeve vests (silk and wool).
• 4 back flannels (loose woven material).
• 6 frocks.
• 6 nightgowns (wool).
• 6 matinée coats (knitted wool).
• 1 Shetland shawl.
• 2 small head shawls.
• 6 bibs.
• 2 doz. turkish towelling napkins.
• 2 doz. soft napkins.
• 2½ in. by 3 in. crepe bandage.

All baby's clothes should be made so that they open right down the front; in this way, when he is dressed, he can be laid on the lap on his abdomen and all the layers of his clothes are put on him in order with his arms in the sleeves, and then, when all the clothes are on, he is turned over on his back, and the clothes fastened up in front in their respective layers. In this way the baby is dressed as rapidly as possible, and with the least turning and handling.

The best food for baby is the food of nature--namely, breast milk; except in cases where, on account of ill-health of the mother or poor quality of the milk, breast-feeding is considered inadvisable. After the birth of the baby during the first two days there is a small secretion of fluid from the breasts. This fluid is called colostrum. It contains a large proportion of fat and acts as a laxative, and helps the baby to empty his bowels. On the first day the baby should be allowed to suck each breast for two minutes. On the second day for three minutes, and so on, increasing the period of time each day. It is important that the breasts should have been prepared, and the nipples hardened beforehand, as otherwise suckling will cause them to be tender at first. Also the period of suckling should not at first be prolonged, as this also causes discomfort.

On the third day after birth the supply of breast milk should have become established and a regular four-hourly feed should be arranged and firmly adhered to, unless a three-hourly feed is advised by the doctor. If the baby appears to be restless or thirsty during the first two days, then a few teaspoonfuls of boiled water at 100 deg. Fahr. should be given after each suckling. When the flow of milk is established, then the period of time at which the baby should be nursed at the breast will be from fifteen to twenty minutes, though no hard-and-fast rule can be laid down, as each individual baby will vary. The baby should not be kept at the breast too long, as this will induce feeble sucking; and care should be taken to see that he takes the whole of the nipple into the mouth and that both breasts should be used at each time the baby is fed.

It is a good plan to change the order in which the baby is put to the breast at each feed, that is, if the baby is put to the right breast first at his first feed at six o'clock, then he should be put to the left breast first at the next feed at ten o'clock and so on. In this way each breast is completely emptied at alternate nursings, as the baby suckles more vigorously at the beginning of the feed than towards the end. It is important that the breasts shall be emptied at each feed. If, by emptying the breasts, the baby would be getting too much milk, then the surplus should be drawn off by hand or with a breast pump. If there is not enough milk for baby's needs, then the deficiency can safely be made up with a humanised milk food such as Humanised Tru-food, which is similar to breast milk and will not upset the baby in any way.

The most common cause of trouble with the feeding of the baby is due to over-feeding, and many of the minor ailments of infancy are due to this cause.

It does not follow that because a baby cries after his feed he still needs more food. In most cases the crying is caused by indigestion from over-feeding, or, in cases where he is not breast-fed, because the alternative food he is given is either not suited by reason of its constituents, or is not in the right condition for natural digestion. It should be remembered that a young baby's stomach is very small, and in the first few days of life it will hold little more than three tablespoonfuls of liquid, so that it is very easily overloaded and painfully distended by injudicious feeding.

Overloading of the stomach is not confined to the bottle-fed baby; breast-fed babies are often permitted to fill themselves to repletion, with consequent vomiting. It is not a difficult matter to regulate the baby's meals, both as regards time of feeding and quantity of food, and both over-feeding and under-feeding should be easily avoided. It should be remembered that often the starved baby is drowsy and quiet and appears to be contented, while the overfed baby is restless, discontented and ravenous.

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