Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/626

 CHILDREN 600 'he baby incubator is one of the happiest and most ingenious contrivances of the age for the prevention of infant mortahty, for by its aid countless weakly infants, who in former days would have died a few hours after birth, are reared into merry, laughing, romping children, who show no trace, after the first few months, of their former delicacy. A specially simple and most successful baby incubator is in constant use at the General Lying-in Hospital at York Road, Lambeth, London. Invented by a former house-surgeon in 1907, it has already performed perfect miracles of life-saving. Its record performance was reached when a wee mortal who had opened its eyes upon the world far too soon, and who actually weighed only 2 lb. i oz. at birth (less than a third of the weight of the average newly- born infant), was reared with its help into a thriving baby, to the delight of the poor mother and the pride of the whole hospital. Since its invention the hospital has never lost a prematurely born but otherwise healthy child. In 1908 a baby weighing 2 lb. 6 oz. was reared in it, while a 3 lb. 9 oz. infant is regarded by the specially-trained incubator nurses as quite a strong, healthy baby for no fears be enter- whom need tained. The way in which the venti- lation of the baby incubator is worked and the heat regulated is most ingenious. The special nurse in charge sets the thermometer inside the incu- bator according to the heat at which it is de- sired to keep it, this usually vary- ing from 90° to 85°, according to the vitality and prematurity of the small occupant. The first ther- mometer stands just beside the infant's head, while a second thermometer controls an alarm bell, which, should the tem- perature rise above the exact warmth fixed upon, continues ringing until the heat is reduced to the point at which the first thermometer is set, thus avoiding all pos- sibility of accidents. The incubator is ventilated by air which, on entering from beneath it, is first filtered through a thin layer of cotton- wool; it then passes over the chamber in which the electric lamps are burning, and, thus warmed, passes through perforated holes in the floor of the incubator, and circulates over the baby before passing through the outlet, which is of sufficient size for adult ventila- tion, so that the little one gets a bounteous supply of life-giving oxygen. The top of the incubator and the side and ends are made to open, thus rendering attention to the baby a very easv matter ; and, indeed, the entire incubator is so simple to work that it is scarcely an}' more trouble to rear an infant in it than in a cradle. One of the incubator's special charms is that it stands on four wheels, and so can be placed beside any bed in the building, and be attached to the electric current which is ready to be switched on from beside it. Since it has glass sides, the mother can keep her treasure in si gh t all the time, a 1 - though she may not actually touch it. Each tiny in- mate of the in- cubator usually remains there for from three weeks to a month, after which time the t e m p e rature is graduallv lowered from 85° or 90° to about 75" The top of the incubator Ufts up, and the side and ends also open, thus rjndering attention to the baby a very easy matter "