The Mother And Her Child Part 35

At the age of three months he has recognized many things such as the light or a bright object. He distinctly recognizes his mother and often smiles at her approach. He recognizes his hands at four months, and now begins to recognize other members of the household aside from his mother. Even as early as one month, he may smile at his mother. At two months of age he will often smile at other members of the family.

He laughs out loud or chuckles during the fourth or fifth month. But, on the whole, he must be considered as just a little animal whose greatest needs are to have his appet.i.te and thirst satisfied, his little body clothed, and his little nerves put to rest--to sleep.

SITTING ALONE

At four months the normal baby will hold up his head; and if he is supported at the back with a pillow, he will sit erectly--holding his head up--at six months; while at eight months or not later than nine, the normal child should sit alone on the floor with no support. Later in the ninth month he often manifests a desire to bear his weight upon his feet. Care is here urged that the mother protect the little fellow at this time and not allow him to rest his weight upon his feet but a moment or two at a time.

He will reach for a ball suspended from the top of his carriage or bed as early as the fifth month. About this time he discovers his toes while in his bath. He will handle a rattle at six or seven months, and shows delight in such toys.

DENt.i.tION

In both the upper and lower jawbones of the newborn infant there are hidden away in snug little cavities two sets of tiny teeth; the first set, or milk teeth, and the second set, or permanent teeth. These rudimentary teeth grow as the baby grows and push their way up or down from the jawbones until they finally make their appearance through the gums. The milk teeth appear in a definite way and in five definite groups.

There should be no physical disturbance at the appearance of the teeth, which is a physiological process, and it is to be deplored that all of the ills of babyhood are laid upon the teeth with the careless remark: "Oh, its his teeth!" Many, many illnesses are neglected because our inexperienced mother has been told that she can expect "anything to happen when the baby is cutting its teeth." Now, it is true that the babies of many families do have trouble in cutting their teeth, but the majority of babies cut their teeth comfortably and the first knowledge anyone has of it is the appearance of the tooth itself. As the teeth push their way nearer the surface of the gums, there is a broadening and a hardening of the gums themselves, and it is the exception rather than the rule that the baby needs any help in cutting his teeth.

Usually by the time the baby is seven months old it has two central teeth on the lower jaw (the central incisors), which const.i.tute the first group. The second group of teeth to appear is the four upper central teeth which are all through by the time the baby is twelve months old, and are often through at ten months. Then there is a pause of from one to three months before the next teeth appear--the four anterior molars. As these four anterior molars come in, the two lateral incisors appear on the lower jaw, which now gives us, by the time the baby is fourteen or fifteen months old, four central teeth upper, four central teeth lower, and the four anterior molars, which make twelve teeth.

Another pause of two or three months and then we get the four canine, which fill in the s.p.a.ce between the first molars and the front teeth.

The canine on the upper jaw are commonly known as the eye teeth, while the canine teeth on the lower jaw are spoken of as the stomach teeth.

This brings us to the age of eighteen to twenty-four months, when there is still another pause of two or three months, after which time the big teeth or the four posterior molars appear, which completes the first set of twenty teeth--the milk teeth. When baby is twenty months old the milk teeth are often all in. The complete set should appear not later than the thirtieth month.

During the life of the milk teeth the child should be taken to the dentist at least once a year, better once in six months, for all defective teeth must be properly and promptly cared for. Inexpensive but sanitary fillings should be placed in all decayed teeth, for the roots of the first teeth are very soft and infection readily spreads to the jaws and the permanent teeth and serious trouble often begins thus early.

If dent.i.tion is seriously delayed, investigation should be started concerning the general condition of the child, for this delay often accompanies ill health.

When the child is six years old, the mother should be watchful, for it is at this time that the first permanent teeth appear just behind the last molar of the milk teeth. They do not replace any of the teeth present, and many times they come through and decay without receiving any attention. It is seldom necessary to a.s.sist these milk teeth as they come through the gum, and should the gums become highly colored and swollen it is not wise to lance them, for if the teeth are not ready to come through immediately, the gum only toughens the more and makes the real cutting still more painful.

This is the time to cut down the baby's food as well as to look for other digestive disturbances, for the number of stools may increase and vomiting may occur, and by reducing the quant.i.ty and quality of the food and encouraging abundant water drinking, much trouble may be avoided. Under no circ.u.mstances urge the baby to eat when he refuses his food, when the gums seem swollen and red during the teething time.

You will find that he will enjoy orange juice, pineapple juice, or prune juice. All of these digestive symptoms are simply the result of "feeling bad," and if heavy food of his regular feeding is greatly diminished he will get along much better than if fed his regular allowance of food.

APPEARANCE OF THE TEETH

The normal child has:

Six teeth at one year.

Twelve teeth at one and one-half years.

Sixteen teeth at two years.

Twenty teeth at two and one-half years.

When the child is six years old the first permanent tooth appears just back of the last of the milk teeth. By the time he is seven, the four central teeth, two above and two below, are out and the new ones begin to appear. The order of their appearances is as follows:

Four first molars 6 years Four central incisors 7 years Four lateral incisors 8 years Four first bicuspids 9 to 10 years Four second bicuspids 10 to 11 years Four canines 11 to 13 years Four second molars 12 to 15 years Four third molars 17 to 25 years

DENTAL SUGGESTIONS

A better plan than to lance swollen gums is to rub them gently with ice wrapped in a soft cloth, or to dip the finger in ice water and rub the gums--this often gives the baby much relief.

Often the baby finds comfort in biting on an ivory ring, but the utmost care must be used in keeping it clean and avoiding contamination by allowing it to drop on the floor.

Convulsions are never the symptoms of teething. Consult a physician at once, as such seizures probably spring from causes other than teething.

Cleansing of the teeth should be carried out systematically every morning by means of a piece of cotton which has been dipped in a boric-acid solution or a solution of bicarbonate of soda (common baking soda). A soft brush may be used for cleansing, and when there are particles of food between the teeth they should be removed by strands of waxed floss.

Throughout life, frequent visits should be made to the dentist; during early childhood days he should be on the lookout for symptoms which indicate deformity--narrow jaws and other conditions which affect the permanent teeth. During adolescence and adult life the teeth should be examined every six months and cleansings of the mouth should become a part of the daily toilet.

THE WEIGHT

During the first year, nothing gives us so much information concerning the child's general well-being as the weight. Such a record will not only enlighten the mother concerning the development of the child, but the grown-up child appreciates the record and preserves it along with the other archives of babyhood days. Every Sunday morning, when the father is at home, the baby should be weighed and an accurate record kept. It is important that the baby be weighed each time in the same garments--s.h.i.+rt, band, diaper, and stockings--for every ounce must be accounted for.

Until the baby is five or six months old he should gain from four to eight ounces a week. Anything short of this is not enough and should be reported to the physician. After six months the gain is about a pound each month. This varies somewhat; possibly during the tenth and eleventh month the gain is lessened, but by the close of the first year the baby should have trebled its birth weight.

Dr. Griffith gives us the following very interesting bit of information concerning the weight of boys and girls after the first year, and to him also belongs the credit for the accompanying table showing the growth, height, and weight of the child up to sixteen years of age.

After the first year we notice that, taking it all together, there is a gradual increase in the number of pounds and a decrease in the number of inches added yearly, four inches being gained in both the second and third years, three inches in the fourth and fifth years, and after this two inches a year. The gain in weight is four pounds yearly from the age of three to that of seven years, then five, then six, and then about nine pounds. It sometimes happens that at about the age of nine in girls and eleven in boys there is almost a cessation of growth for a short time. Later, at about twelve years, girls take on a particularly rapid growth, and decidedly exceed boys of the same age in weight, and sometimes in height also. At fifteen or sixteen years the rapidity of growth in girls, both in weight and height, will be greatly diminished, while boys of this age will often begin to develop very rapidly, and will soon materially exceed the other s.e.x in both respects.

TABLE SHOWING GROWTH IN HEIGHT AND WEIGHT

Age. Height. Weight.

Birth 19 inches. 7 lbs. 8 oz.

1 week 7 " 7 "

2 weeks 7 " 10 " } Gained 1 oz.

3 weeks 8 " 2 " } a day; 1 month 20 inches 8 " } 7 oz. a week 2 months 21 " 10 " }

3 months 22 " 12 " } {Gained 3/4 oz. a day; 4 months 23 " 13 " } {5-1/2 oz. a week.

5 months 23 " 15 " } {Double original weight.

6 months 24 " 16 " } {Gained 2/3 oz. a day; {4-2/3 oz. a week.

{ 7 months 24 " 17 " } { 8 months 25 " 18 " } {Gained 1/2 in. a month.

9 months 25 " 18 " } { 10 months 26 " 19 " } {Gained about 1 lb. a month.

11 months 26 " 20 " } { 1 year 27 " 21 " } {Treble original weight.

2 years 31 " 27 " } { 3 years 35 " 32 " } {Gain 4 in. a year.

4 years 37 " 36 " } Double original length.

5 years 40 " 40 " } {Gained 3 in. and 4 lbs.

} {a year.

6 years 43 " 44 " } {Gained 2 in and 4 lbs.

7 years 45 " 48 " } {a year.

8 years 47 " 53 " } {Gained 2 in. and 5 lbs.

9 years 49 " 58 " } {a year.