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Article #70: Stomach & Bowel Disorders Among Infants

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






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