甲、穿衣不宜过暖,最好用老人旧袄旧 ,改作衣衫,取其真气相滋,令儿多寿,盖被用新弹旧棉絮最佳。
乙、睡时不宜枕臂,须制小枕,或装绿豆壳,或装芦絮,左右调换侧卧为安,勿使正面仰卧,恐易酿成惊
疾,又小儿同母睡时,切忌鼻风口气吹儿囟门,致成风疾。
丙、灯火切不宜炙,古法有初诞之时,便用灯火于头额发际灸之,又有用全身灯火,按穴灸之,彼以为有
经有府,有理有法,能截风路,适足以大开风门,戒之戒之。
丁、初生百日之内,不宜竖抱,恐有头倾项软,天柱倒侧之虞,半岁前不可独坐,恐有龟背伛偻之疾。
戊、衣服自初生至十岁,不可夜露,因有鸟名天地如,一名隐飞鸟,纯雌无雄,最喜夜出飞鸣,落羽毛于
儿衣中,令儿作病,如衣经夜露,可即用醋熏之。
一要背暖。二要脐暖。三要足暖。四要头凉。五要心胸凉。六要勿见怪物。七脾胃常要温。八啼未定勿便
食乳。九勿服轻粉、朱砂。十少洗浴。
婴儿初离母体,口有液毒,啼声一出,随即咽下,而毒伏于
命门,他日发为惊热、疮疡、恶痘等症,须于未啼时,急用丝棉裹指,挖退场门内浊秽,以清脏腑经络。
至月内拭口解毒,有用胭脂蘸茶者,有用黄连浸汁者,有用朱砂蜜者,有用豆豉汁者,有用金银花汤者,有
用三黄汤者,有用京墨磨茶者,有用淡姜汤者,其法不一。
〔真按〕∶新产小儿,胃气未动,混一清虚之府,只用生甘草末少许,煎汤不可太甜,轻轻擦之,或用淡盐
茶,均为稳妥,至拭口之后,以胡桃肉去皮嚼极烂,以薄绢包如小枣,纳儿口中,使吮其汁,非独和中,且能养
脏,亦佳法也。
A. Clothing should not be too warm; it is best to use old cotton-padded jackets or trousers worn by the elderly, remade into infant garments, to utilize their "true qi" (vital energy) for mutual nourishment, thereby increasing the child's longevity. For bedding, newly fluffed old cotton wadding is best.
B. When sleeping, the infant should not rest their head on an adult's arm; a small pillow must be made, filled with mung bean husks or reed down, and the position should be changed left and right while lying on the side for safety. The infant should not lie supine on their face, as this may easily lead to convulsive disorders (Jing Feng). Furthermore, when the infant sleeps with the mother, one must strictly avoid letting the mother's nasal breath or oral air blow onto the infant's fontanelle, which can cause wind diseases.
C. Fire-lamp moxibustion is absolutely contraindicated. Ancient methods included using fire lamps to moxa the hairline of the forehead at birth, or using full-body fire lamps to moxa according to acupoints. Proponents believed this followed meridian and organ principles, capable of blocking the path of wind pathogens; however, it actually opens the door for wind invasion. This must be strictly avoided.
D. Within the first hundred days after birth, the infant should not be held upright, lest there be risks of head tilting, neck weakness, or inversion of the Tianzhu bone (upper spine). Before six months of age, the infant should not sit alone, lest they develop hunchback or kyphosis.
E. From birth until ten years of age, clothes should not be exposed to the night air. There is a bird called "Tiandi Ru," also known as "Yin Fei Niao," which is purely female without males, preferring to fly and sing at night. Its feathers falling into children's clothes can cause illness. If clothes have been exposed to night dew, they should be fumigated with vinegar immediately.
One: Keep the back warm. Two: Keep the umbilicus warm. Three: Keep the feet warm. Four: Keep the head cool. Five: Keep the chest and heart area cool. Six: Avoid seeing strange objects. Seven: Keep the spleen and stomach warm. Eight: Do not feed milk immediately if crying has not settled. Nine: Do not administer Qingfen (Calomel) or Zhusha (Cinnabar). Ten: Reduce bathing frequency.
When an infant first leaves the maternal body, there is fluid toxin in the mouth. Upon the first cry, this is swallowed, and the toxin lies latent in the Mingmen (Gate of Life). Later, it may manifest as convulsive fever, sores and ulcers, or severe smallpox-like eruptions. Therefore, before the infant cries, one should urgently wrap a finger in silk cotton to remove turbid filth from the anus, thereby clearing the zang-fu organs and meridians. For cleansing the mouth within the first month to detoxify, methods vary: some use rouge dipped in tea, some use decoction of Huanglian (Rhizoma Coptidis), some use Zhusha (Cinnabar) mixed with honey, some use Douchi (Fermented Soybean) juice, some use Jinyinhua (Flos Lonicerae) soup, some use Sanhuang Tang (Three Yellows Decoction), some use Jingmo (Beijing Ink) ground in tea, and some use light ginger soup. The methods are numerous.
[Chen Shouzhen's Note]: In a newborn, the Stomach Qi has not yet activated; the digestive tract remains a clear and empty vessel. It is sufficient to use a small amount of raw Gancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae) powder, boiled into a soup that is not too sweet, and gently wipe the mouth. Alternatively, light salt tea water is also safe and stable. After cleansing the mouth, take Hu Tao Ren (Semen Juglandis), peel it, chew it thoroughly until soft, wrap it in thin silk cloth like a small date, and place it in the infant's mouth for sucking. This not only harmonizes the middle jiao but also nourishes the zang organs, making it an excellent method.