Nursery Equipment

NURSERY EQUIPMENT. A baby should room alone, if possible, and must always sleep alone. Nursery equipment should be simple and all furniture and fittings of a type that may be readily washed. Painted walls are preferable but fresh clean wall paper is permissible. The best floors are well oiled or waxed hard wood or linoleum with a few small, washable, cotton rugs. Muslin curtains and dark window shades permit of good ventilation and subdued lighting. The necessary furniture consists of : A table of plain wood about two by three feet in size and low enough so that the mother may reach anything on it from her chair. Two low chairs without arms; one may be a rocker. A screen with removable washable panels to be used for protection from draughts and as a rack for airing the clothing. Two accessible shelves on the wall for the toilet articles. A closet with shelves or a bureau to hold the clothing. A wall thermometer and a covered pail to hold soiled diapers.

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crib or bassinet may be used. The latter is advised for the first two months; the best kind is the ordinary clothes basket with handles at either end. This affords free ventilation, is easily cleaned, may be placed upon two chairs or a bench and is moved about readily. For a mattress an ordinary hair pillow is best ; a feather pillow must not be used but one of felt or kapoc is a good substitute. Large pillow cases are preferable to sheets; one to hold the mattress and so serve as a lower sheet ; the other to hold the blankets and serve as an upper sheet and bed spread. A small blanket rolled tightly may be placed at the foot of the bed before the upper sheet and blankets are tucked in; this will hold the upper bedding away from the baby's feet and permit free movement of the legs. A pillow for the head is not needed. Care of the Nursery.—The bed should be placed in a corner of the room well protected from a direct draught and too strong a light. The wall thermometer should be placed on the wall above the head of the bed. The temperature of the nursery should not be above 68° F nor below 66° during the daytime. For the first three months the proper night temperature is from 62 to 64° and later this may be reduced to from 5o to 54 degrees. In winter the proper ventilation may be secured by the use of a window board and in summer the windows, thoroughly screened, may be left open during the cooler part of the day and at night. The room should be well cleaned and aired every day and the baby in his basket taken out of the room while this is done. Soap and hot water with sunshine are the best cleaners and disinfectants to use. The Bath.—Tub baths may be given as soon as the umbilical cord drops off, usually about the tenth day after birth. Until that time sponge baths only are permitted. The equipment needed for the bath consists of : A portable bathtub of rubber or enamel ware. Rubber apron for the mother. Small soft blanket. Supply of soft and absorbent towels. Two wash cloths; one for the face and head and the other for the body. A tray holding a cake of castile or other pure white soap, a tube or jar of baby cream, plain unscented talcum powder, a few covered glass jars to hold small squares of sterile gauze, cotton pledgets and liquids needed, safety pins of assorted sizes, a bottle of boric acid solution and a bath thermometer. These articles should be replaced on the tray after

use and covered with a clean towel until needed again. When all the equipment is in place, undress the baby and lay him on the bed wrapped in the soft blanket. Put on the rubber apron and pour the water into the tub. The temperature of the water must be tested with the bath thermometer at the last moment before the bath is given. For the first few weeks this should be ioo° F. From the second to the sixth month the right temperature is 98 degrees. For the remainder of the first year, 95° is proper. During the sec ond year the temperature of the bath water may be lowered to from 85 to 9o° F. When the water is at the right temperature, take the baby in your lap and place the towel about him in place of the blanket. Before placing the baby in the tub use one of the wash cloths to bathe his face with plain water. Then soap the cloth well and gently wash the head, neck and back of the ears. Be careful not to get any of the soap in the baby's eyes. Rinse the wash cloth and wash off the soap from the head and neck. Now lift the baby by placing your right hand and arm under his buttocks and your left arm under his back with the forearm supporting his head. Set him gently in the tub keeping his back and head well supported, leaving your right arm and hand free for giving the bath. Soap the second wash cloth and rub the body, arms and legs all over, gently but thoroughly. Then rinse the cloth and wash off the soapy lather. The bath should not take more than a few moments during the first few weeks, later it may he given more leisurely. Now lift the baby from the tub and wrap him in the bath towel on your lap. The drying process consists of a series of gentle pattings; do not irritate the baby's delicate skin by rubbing. The head and face should be dried first and then the arms, legs and body. Do not wash out the baby's mouth, ears or nostrils unless so advised by your doctor. If the eyes need special care they may be wiped gently with a pledget of sterile cotton wet with sterile water or boric acid solution. When this is done, the baby should be turned on his right side while the right eye is washed and on the left side for the left eye; this turning is necessary to prevent the solution used for one eye from running into the other eye. After the baby is well dried it is a good plan to smear all of the folds of the skin in the groin, under the arms and about the neck with a little of the baby cream or with olive oil. Then comes a light dusting of the body with talcum powder and the baby is ready for his clothing, his feeding and his nap. Diapers must be changed as soon as soiled, placed in a pailful of cold water and once each day thoroughly scrubbed with soap and hot water, rinsed in hot water and then boiled for five minutes. If possible, dry the diapers in the sunlight.