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Show Care of Baby's Limbs. If the baby's food agrees with it and the little one nevertheless does not thrive, there is a reason for it. Babies need exercise as well as grown persons. See that the little one's clothes do not restrict it. Long skirts am! tight bands will retard re-tard the baby's physical development. The dragging weight of the long petticoats pet-ticoats upon the tender feet is sometimes some-times so great that i permanently weakens them and predisposes them to deformities. Don't let the baby be in one position;. ; constantly. See that it rests comfortably and change it from side to side. Thoughtless persons frequently lift babies by one hand or both, and occa- sionally a doctor finds that the baby's shoulder has been dislocated by just such unintentional inproper handling of little limbs. Nurse girls not much older than the babies themselves have also caused spinal diseases by carrying the poor infant committed to them so that the spine is not properly supported, and an unnatural flexion is produced. The baby should be trained to use his muscles as nature intended. He should not Le overencouraged and j-never j-never forced. If freed from restrictions a normal baby will try to use its hands as soon as it begins to notice things. After a little it will succeed in moving mov-ing itself toward the desired object. As it gets strength it becomes venturesome ven-turesome and will almost roll over in its delighted attempts to reach soma especially attractive Iiauble. Next it will creep, and finally, without with-out any one's aid, the healthy baby will find the real use of its legs and feet and will of its own accord and without with-out assistance from any one, stand alone and finally walk. This is a most important time in the baby's life. Don't urge him to bear his weight upon his little feet until he is able to do so without danger of bending bend-ing the tender bones and forever more being bowlegged. Let the bany take hi3 own time in learning to walk. ) There's really no hurry. Better a great deal a strong, straight-legged boy who did not take a step till he was 20 months old, than a bandy-legged son who broke the record by running away at 9 months. Remember that bones are the framework frame-work of the body, and they must be built of the right materials, for which the baby must get the proper food. if the bones are not composed of the right materials, which are only obtained obtain-ed by a nourishing diet, they become soft and plastic, and another victim is added to the long list of deformed, ill-shaped children. The poor little baby without will or power to resist, unable to choose good habits from bad, even sitting or lying in the attitude chosen for it by some one else was there ever a living thing so helpless? The whole futur? of your little one?, dear, patient, lnvh'g mothers, depends upon such every day, every hour rnat-! rnat-! ters as the food, the cleanliness, the j exercise and the sunlight our babies get during the first years of their existence. exist-ence. Poor little babiesf Life is difficult enough for most of us even with, straight lerrs and strong backs. i Let ua not make it a martyrdom for the little ones by neglect or ignorance, which are in these days, almo.st criminal. |