File:A text-book of practical obstetrics, comprising pregnancy, labor, and the puerpal state, and obstetric surgery (1897) (14591547627).jpg

Identifier: textbookofpracti00granuoft (find matches)
Title: A text-book of practical obstetrics, comprising pregnancy, labor, and the puerpal state, and obstetric surgery
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Grandin, Egbert H
Subjects: Obstetrics
Publisher: Philadelphia, Davis
Contributing Library: Gerstein - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
d approximate intemperature that of its external surroundings. What shouldbe aimed at is the avoidance of chill. The temperature of thebath, therefore, should be only slightly in excess of that of theroom in which it is bathed. As a rule, a temperature of 80° to90° F. should be selected, except in the case of immatureinfants, when, since we are not dealing with an individual ofnormal capacity, we must make the circumstances meet thecase. The first step is to remove the coating of vernix caseosaand of blood with which the infant is covered to a greater orless degree. This is accomplished by greasing its surface withsome unctuous material, such as sweet-oil or vaselin, the precau-tion being taken not to allow any of the material to get into theeyes or the stump of the cord, since it is not sterile. Thisgreasing accomplished, the infant is supported on the hands ofthe nurse and placed in the bath so that the entire surface iscovered with the exception of the head. It is then soaped and
Text Appearing After Image:
D O U -O E CARE OF THE NEWBORN INFANT. 191 washed until the surface of the body has been cleansed, whenit is removed from the bath and thoroughly dried. The flexuresof the body are then covered with vaselin or a pure rice- orbismuth- powder, to avoid chafing of the delicate integument,and next the body is examined for defects. The natural open-ings are investigated in turn and the toes and the fingers arecounted, since one of the first questions of the anxious relativeswill be as to whether the child is perfect or not. If any imper-fections are determined it is wise not to tell the mother, sincethe nervous anxiety she would be subject to would complicateher convalescence; but the father or some relative should betold, and, in case of such a complication as imperforate anus orurethra, steps requisite for giving speedy surgical aid should betaken. The cord should now be dressed. (Plate XXXIX.) Thismatter is usually left to the nurse, but it falls within the provinceof the physician, sin

Note About Images