term. But it is shorter because the infant is small; and the
subsequent loss of blood is not so great. The recovery of the mother
is never retarded by the fact of earlier delivery, though the
conditions which caused it may prevent rapid convalescence.

The outlook for the infant depends upon a great many factors. Most
important among them is the perfection of its development, which may
be estimated most satisfactorily from its weight and length.
Occasionally children have been reared when they weighed as little as
three pounds, but hope that they will survive should not be
entertained unless they weigh four pounds or more. This is attained
about eight weeks before maturity, and corresponds to a length of
forty centimeters (16 inches), measured from the crown of the head to
the heel. Premature children perish, most frequently, either from
incomplete development of their heat-regulating apparatus, which
predisposes them to pneumonia, or from imperfections in the digestive
functions, which increase the liability to malnutrition. To overcome
the first danger, incubators have been devised and have become
familiar to everyone through public exhibitions. A basket or box
supplied with hot-water bottles answers the same purpose, and has the
advantage of better ventilation. The second danger can be overcome
only by proper feeding. Breast-milk provides the most reliable
nourishment for premature infants. If the mother cannot supply it, a
wet-nurse should be procured, and, if the infant has not the strength
to suckle, the milk should be drawn from the breast and fed with a
medicine-dropper or a spoon.

In addition to providing proper food and maintaining an even body-
temperature, care must also be taken to protect these infants from
various harmful influences such as too much handling, strong light,