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Disorder
of the stomach and bowels is one of the most fruitful sources of the
diseases
of infancy. Only prevent their derangement, and, all things being
equal, the
infant will be healthy and flourish, and need not the aid of physic or
physicians.
There are many causes
which may give rise to these affections; many of them appertain to the
mother's
system, some to that of the infant. All are capable, to a great extent,
of
being prevented or remedied. It is, therefore, most important that a
mother
should not be ignorant or misinformed upon this subject. It is the
prevention
of these affections, however, that will be principally dwelt upon here;
for
let the mother ever bear in mind, and
act upon the principle, that the
prevention of disease alone belongs to her; the cure
to the
physician.
For the sake of clearness and
reference, these disorders will be spoken of as they occur:
To
the
infant at the breast.
The
infant's stomach and bowels may become deranged from the breast-milk
becoming
unwholesome. This may arise from the parent getting out of health, a
circumstance which will be so manifest to herself, and to those more
immediately interested in her welfare, that it is only necessary just
to allude
to it here. Suffice it to say, that there are many causes of a general
kind to
which it may owe its origin; but that the most frequent is undue
lactation, and
the effects both upon mother and child fully dwelt upon.
Anxiety
of mind in the mother will cause her milk to be unhealthy in its
character, and
deficient in quantity, giving rise to flatulence, griping, and
sometimes even
convulsions in the infant. A fit of passion in the nurse will
frequently be
followed by a fit of bowel complain in the child. These causes of
course are
temporary, and when removed the milk becomes a healthy and sufficient
for the
child as before.
Sudden
and great mental disturbance, however, will occasionally drive away the
milk
altogether, and in a few hours. A Mrs. S., aet. 29, a fine healthy
woman, of a
blonde complexion, was confined of a boy. She
had a good time, and a plentiful supply of milk for the child, which
she continued to suckle till the following January, a period of three
months,
when her milk suddenly disappeared. This circumstance puzzled the
medical
attendant, for he could not trace it to any physical ailment; but the
milk
never returned, and a wet-nurse became necessary. In the following
spring the
husband of this lady failed, an adversity which had been impending
since the
date when the breast-milk disappeared, upon which day the deranged
state of the
husband's affairs was made known to the wife, a fact which at once
explained
the mysterious disappearance of the milk.
Unwholesome
articles of diet will affect the mother's milk, and derange the
infant's
bowels. Once, I was called to see an infant at the breast with
diarrhoea. The
remedial measures had but little effect so long as the infant was
allowed the
breast-milk; but this being discontinued, and arrow-root made with
water only
allowed, the complaint was quickly put a stop to. Believing that the
mother's
milk was impaired from some accidental cause which might now be passed,
the
infant was again allowed the breast. In less than four-and-twenty
hours,
however, the diarrhoea returned. The mother being a very healthy woman,
it was
suspected that some unwholesome article in her diet might be the cause.
The
regimen was accordingly carefully inquired into, when it appeared that
porter
from a neighbouring publican's had been substituted for their own for
some
little time past. This proved to be bad, throwing down, when left to
stand a
few hours, a considerable sediment; it was discontinued; good sound ale
taken
instead; the infant again put to the breast, upon the milk of which it
flourished, and never had another attack.
In
the
same way aperient medicine, taken by the mother, will act on the
child's
bowels, through the effect which it produces upon her milk. This,
however, is
not the case with all kinds of purgative medicine, nor does the same
purgative
produce a like effect upon all children. It is well, therefore, for a
parent to
notice what aperient acts thus through her system upon that of her
child, and
what does not, and when an aperient becomes necessary for herself,
unless she
desire that the infant's bowels be moved, to avoid the latter; if
otherwise,
she may take the former with good effect.
Again;
the return of the monthly periods whilst the mother is a nurse always
affects
the properties of the milk, more or less, deranging the stomach and
bowels of
the infant. It will thus frequently happen, that a few days before the
mother
is going to be unwell, the infant will become fretful and uneasy; its
stomach
will throw up the milk, and its motions will be frequent, watery, and
greenish.
And then, when the period is fully over, the milk will cease to purge.
It is
principally in the early months, however, that the infant seems to be
affected
by this circumstance; for it will be generally found that although the
milk is
certainly impaired by it, being less abundant and nutritious, still,
after the
third or fourth month it ceases to affect the infant. Is then a mother,
because
her monthly periods return after her delivery, to give up nursing?
Certainly
not, unless the infant's health is seriously affected by it; for she
will
generally find that, as the periods come round, by keeping the infant
pretty
much from the breast, during its continuance, and feeding him upon
artificial
food, she will prevent disorder of the child's health, and be able in
the
intervals to nurse her infant with advantage. It must be added,
however, that a
wet- nurse is to be resorted to rather than any risk incurred of
injuring the
child's health; and that, in every case, partial feeding will be
necessary at a
much earlier period than when a mother is not thus affected.
The
milk may also be rendered less nutritive, and diminished in quantity,
by the
mother again becoming pregnant. In this case, however, the parent's
health will
chiefly suffer, if she persevere in nursing; this, however, will again
act
prejudicially to the child. It will be wise, therefore, if pregnancy
should
occur, and the milk disagree with the infant, to resign the duties of a
nurse,
and to put the child upon a suitable artificial diet.
The
infant that is constantly at the breast will always be suffering, more
or less,
from flatulence, griping, looseness of the bowels, and vomiting. This
is caused
by a sufficient interval not being allowed between the meals for
digestion. The
milk, therefore, passes on from the stomach into the bowels undigested,
and the
effects just alluded to follow. Time must not only be given for the
proper
digestion of the milk, but the stomach itself must be allowed a season
of
repose. This evil, then, must be avoided most carefully by the mother
strictly
adhering to those rules for nursing.
The
bowels of the infant at the breast, as well as after it is weaned, are
generally affected by teething. And it is fortunate that this is the
case, for
it prevents more serious affections. Indeed, the diarrhoea that occurs
during
dentition, except it be violent, must not be subdued; if, however, this
is the
case, attention must be paid to it. It will generally be found to be
accompanied by a swollen gum; the freely lancing of which will
sometimes alone
put a stop to the looseness: further medical aid may, however, be
necessary.
At
the
period of weaning.
There
is great susceptibility to derangements of the stomach and bowels of
the child
at the period when weaning ordinarily takes place, so that great care
and
judgment must be exercised in effecting this object. Usually, however,
the
bowels are deranged during this process from one of these causes; from
weaning
too early, from effecting it too suddenly and abruptly, or from
over-feeding
and the use of improper and unsuitable food. There is another cause
which also
may give rise to diarrhoea at this time, independently of weaning, viz.
the
irritation of difficult teething.
The
substitution of artificial food for the breast-milk of the mother, at a
period
when the digestive organs of the infant are too delicate for this
change, is a
frequent source of the affections now under consideration.
The
attempt to wean a delicate child, for instance, when only six months
old, will
inevitably be followed by disorder of the stomach and bowels. Unless,
therefore, a mother is obliged to resort to this measure, from becoming
pregnant, or any other unavoidable cause, if she consult the welfare of
her
child, she will not give up nursing at this early period.
Depriving
the child at once of the breast, and substituting artificial food,
however
proper under due regulations such food may be, will invariably cause
bowel
complaints. Certain rules and regulations must be adopted to effect
weaning
safely, the details of which are given elsewhere.
If
too
large a quantity of food is given at each meal, or the meals are too
frequently
repeated, in both instances the stomach will become oppressed, wearied,
and
deranged; part of the food, perhaps, thrown up by vomiting, whilst the
remainder, not having undergone the digestive process, will pass on
into the
bowels, irritate its delicate lining membrane, and produce flatulence,
with
griping, purging, and perhaps convulsions.
Then,
again, improper and unsuitable food will be followed by precisely the
same
effects; and unless a judicious alteration be quickly made, remedies
will not
only have no influence over the disease, but the cause being continued,
the
disease will become most seriously aggravated.
It
is,
therefore, of the first importance to the well-doing of the child, that
at this
period, when the mother is about to substitute an artificial food for
that of
her own breast, she should first ascertain what kind of food suits the
child
best, and then the precise quantity which nature demands. Many cases
might be
cited, where children have never had a prescription written for them,
simply
because, these points having been attended to, their diet has been
managed with
judgment and care; whilst, on the other hand, others might be referred
to,
whose life has been hazarded, and all but lost, simply from injudicious
dietetic management. Over-feeding, and improper articles of food, are
more
frequently productive, in their result, of anxious hours and
distressing scenes
to the parent, and of danger and loss of life to the child, than almost
any
other causes.
The
irritation caused by difficult teething may give rise to diarrhoea at
the
period when the infant is weaned, independently of the weaning itself.
Such
disorder of the bowels, if it manifestly occur from this cause, is a
favourable
circumstance, and should not be interfered with, unless indeed the
attack be
severe and aggravated, when medical aid becomes necessary. Slight
diarrhoea
then, during weaning, when it is fairly traceable to the cutting of a
tooth
(the heated and inflamed state of the gum will at once point to this as
the
source of the derangement), is of no consequence, but it must not be
mistaken
for disorder arising from other causes. Lancing the gum will at once,
then,
remove the cause, and generally cure the bowel complaint. Learn more about how to cure Infant Colic .
Note:
While every
care is taken to provide medically accurate and up to date information
in this web site, it is to be noted that this advice is not intended to
replace the advice of your physician. Before undertaking the advice
contained in this web site, you should consult a medical professional.
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