Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: m. DISEASES OF THE NEW-BORN PREMATURE AND CONGENITALLY WEAK INFANTS Comparatively few infants born before the completion of the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy survive the first year. Reported cases of survival of those born before that time are usually unreliable, as the reports seldom follow the child beyond the third month. The prognosis is influenced by the factors causing the premature birth. If syphilis is present, the child may survive but a day or two. Children whose births are forced because of kidney disease in the mother do not appear to do as well as others. In children's institutions I have treated a large number of premature infants and have had anything but brilliant results with them. They not infrequently live to be two, three, or four months of age or older, but on account of reduced vitality they readily succumb to the slightest ailment, a mild bronchitis or fermentative diarrhea being sufficient to terminate their existence. In the management of the premature and delicate newly born there are four points to be considered—the air the child gets to breathe, the nourishment, the maintenance of bodily heat, and the absence of infection. It is also to be remembered that we are dealing with an undeveloped body which is not ready for the environment in which it is placed. The premature baby should be handled only when necessary, and then in the gentlest manner. Bathing is often best omitted for the first few weeks, oil being used for cleansing purposes. Because of the undeveloped parenchyma of the lungs unusually good fresh air is required. Because of the undeveloped heat-centers the body-heat of these infants is quickly lost and must be maintained by artificial means. The stomach is small and the digestive processes are undeveloped and weak, so that the nourish...