Infant care / [United States Children's Bureau].

  • United States. Children's Bureau.
Date:
1935
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Infant care / [United States Children's Bureau]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    care must be taken to guard against fire, as the fuzzy surface is inflammable. Winter nightgowns for a very young baby may be made with a string run through the hem so that they may be drawn up at the feet, but they must be long enough to come well below the feet so as not to restrict his freedom to kick. STOCKINGS The best stockings for a baby are of cotton. Others are of wool and cotton, wool and silk, all wool (for use in very cold climates), or a mixture of rayon and cotton, wool, or silk. Stockings, after washing, must be one-half inch longer than the baby’s foot, and there- fore to allow for shrinking it is wise to buy them at least three- fourths inch longer. Woolen stockings should be washed quickly and dried on stocking stretchers to prevent them from shrinking. A loop of tape may be sewed to the top of each stocking, through which to slip the safety pin that holds them to the diaper. » SHOES As soon as a baby tries to stand and before he learns to walk, he should begin to wear shoes that fasten around the ankle and that have soles firm enough to permit his feet to take their natural posi- tion. Soft shoes such as moccasins, which have the upper and sole cut in one piece, cause the baby’s feet to curl up at the sides; with a firm sole this can not take place. Shoes with the moccasin type of upper are satisfactory, if they have firm soles and are laced. Laced shoes of the “blucher ” type, straight along the inner line, are best. The soles should be firm, moderately flexible, and of me- dium weight. They should be made of rough leather such as elk hide, so as not to be shiny nor slippery. Although heels are not advisable, the soles should be somewhat thicker at the heel and under the arch; a perfectly flat sole is undesirable. The shank of the shoe should be narrow, the heel close fitting, the upper full and soft over the child’s toes, and the toe of the shoe broad enough for his toes to move easily. Shoes should always be long enough, so that the toes are not crowded but have complete freedom of motion. Before buying shoes for a baby old enough to stand, make a tracing of his foot on paper, with the baby standing. Select shoes that are one-fourth to one-half inch longer than the baby’s foot and at least one-fourth inch wider at the toes. As soon as the baby’s foot grows so that his toes nearly touch the end of the shoes, longer ones should be bought. The mother should examine the baby’s feet frequently, and if his toes are found to be overlapping or turned under, larger shoes are needed.