典藏书目

At the time of birth, an infant's skin and muscles are not yet solid, and their Qi and Blood are inherently weak. Provided that temperature regulation is appropriate and diet is balanced, aside from feeding well and sleeping soundly, there is nothing else to worry about. If cared for properly, the body will naturally grow fat and strong day by day. This is what is meant by "if proper nourishment is obtained, nothing fails to grow"; in such cases, how can illness occur? Therefore, the swaddling clothes for infants should use old cotton wadding, and the back protection should be slightly thicker, because the Zang-Fu organs (Zang-Fu organs) are all connected to the back. New wadding should not be used to prevent heat transmission from causing internal fire. Generally, one should not overdress or overheat the infant; rather, the infant should be exposed to wind and sunlight regularly to make the skin denser and the Qi and Blood stronger. If an infant is kept in a sealed room, lying in heavy curtains and deep tents, or dressed too warmly, the bones and flesh become soft and brittle, unable to resist wind and cold. When occasionally taken outside, they are easily deceived by the external wind and dew, making them prone to illness. Regarding breastfeeding, it should not be excessive; it is best if the infant remains slightly hungry. As the saying goes: "Endure three parts hunger, eat seven parts full, carefully protect the umbilicus, bathe less." These are profound truths. One must also carefully select the wet nurse; she should be physically healthy and free from emotional disturbances (Seven Emotions: joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, fright). This is qualified because the infant relies on milk to sustain life, which is of great importance. A good wet nurse avoids heat in summer, as heat causes infant vomiting; she avoids cold in winter, as cold causes infant colds and coughing. Milk taken after anger causes infant rebellious Qi and chest fullness; milk taken after drunkenness causes infant fever and abdominal pain. Breastfeeding immediately after childbirth often results in infants who are emaciated, with soft bones and delayed walking. Feeding an infant while they are still crying easily leads to rebellious Qi, indigestion of milk, stagnation in the chest and diaphragm forming phlegm-fluids, resulting in high fever. If the high fever persists, convulsions may develop. Breastfeeding during pregnancy results in infants who are yellowish, thin, with dry hair, large bellies, and small legs. In short, if the wet nurse can be cautious about cold and heat, avoid indignation, and avoid eating rich, greasy, roasted, or fried foods, the milk will be clear and harmonious, and the infant will not get sick. Otherwise, Yin and Yang cannot be harmonized, Qi and Blood boil, the milk becomes spoiled, and diseases in the infant will surely proliferate. Furthermore, frequently administering medicine to infants will secretly damage their Zang-Fu organs. Often, very minor symptoms suddenly turn into critical conditions, making treatment difficult. Those raising children must know this. There is also a custom where, at the moment of an infant's birth, ginger and mugwort are moxibusted on the forehead and hairline, or lamps are burned over the whole body. This must never be done. They believe this practice can block the path of wind and prevent convulsions. Little do they know that it actually opens the wind gates wide, inviting wind inward. Fire therapy is sometimes necessary for specific diseases in infants, requiring ginger moxibustion or lamp burning out of necessity. However, using it without cause harms the innocent, and various illnesses begin from then on. Additionally, there are several other rules for protecting children. If the caregiver follows these methods, the child will naturally become strong and free from disease. 1. When bathing an infant, the bathwater temperature must be adjusted and tested. If the temperature is unsuitable, it easily frightens the infant and causes illness. Too cold damages Ying-Qi (Nutritive Qi); too hot damages Wei-Qi (Defensive Qi). Bathing should not last too long. The infant's back requires special attention to prevent external wind-cold from invading through the spine and causing disease. 2. An infant's postnatal foundation relies mainly on the Spleen and Stomach. Therefore, milk and food must be provided after birth to aid growth mechanisms. If the infant eats well and sleeps soundly, the result is naturally robust health. The relationship between milk/food and children is so significant that feeding must be regulated. With regulation, the Spleen and Stomach naturally strengthen. Overfeeding injures and stagnates the Spleen and Stomach, leading to poor digestion and the proliferation of diseases. In summer, milk should not be too warm; in winter, not too cold. The temperature must be adjusted when feeding. If the infant drinks the wet nurse's milk and there are incompatibilities, the wet nurse must take medicine. Adjust the temperature before feeding. Food should not be given before breastfeeding, nor especially after breastfeeding, because the infant's Spleen and Stomach are weak. Once milk and food are consumed together, digestion becomes difficult. Initially, food retention occurs; over time, it becomes masses or malnutrition syndromes (Gan syndrome), which are hard to treat with medicine. These are faults due to the wet nurse's lack of caution. 3. Children's clothing should not be too warm, to cultivate the body's resistance to external factors. Add clothes when cold, remove them when hot, ensuring balance. Overheating causes sweating and opening of the pores (Couli), allowing wind pathogens to enter easily, leading to disease. It is also taboo to undress in front of the wind, fearing colds. However, on clear days, taking the infant to gardens helps please the eyes and mind, nourishes Qi, and aids growth. Never place the infant on damp, shady grass without exposure to wind and sun, as this causes Cold-Dampness to invade the Spleen and Kidney, leading to abdominal pain and diarrhea.