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The *Qianjin Fang* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) states: When an infant reaches two hundred and forty days of age, the metacarpal bones are formed, and the mother should teach the child to crawl. Upon completing one full year, the mother should support the child in learning to walk. These are methods following natural laws. If the child is clothed too warmly and wrapped tightly, deprived of exposure to wind and sunlight, and prevented from contacting the earth's qi, it may result in weak sinews and bones, with some children unable to walk even after several years. Observing rural children today reveals the opposite; because they are exposed to wind and sunlight and receive the qi of the soil, their sinews and strength are usually robust. Is this not due to differences in the principles of nobility and commonality? Understanding this, the way to protect infants is mastered.

The method of breastfeeding must be handled with caution. An infant's spleen and stomach are delicate, and milk/food is easily injured; initially manifesting as vomiting and diarrhea, prolonged injury leads to accumulation and masses. The diet of the wet nurse is transmitted through the breast milk; when the infant consumes it, the body's response is immediate. If the mother eats hot-natured food, the milk becomes hot; if she eats cold-natured food, the milk becomes cold. Drinking hot milk in summer causes vomiting and reflux; drinking cold milk in winter causes cough and diarrhea. The mother should not be angry, for anger causes qi to rise upward leading to mania. The mother should not be drunk, for drunkenness causes body heat and abdominal pain. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy or lactation can cause the child to become sallow and emaciated with a distended abdomen and weak legs, a condition named [missing character] disease. Generally, breastfeeding should not be excessive. As the proverb says: "Infants often suffer illness from overeating." It is also said: "Endure three parts hunger, eat until seven parts full," which is a supreme truth.

Medical texts state that when a newborn cries but has not yet fully vocalized, it is urgent to use cotton-wrapped fingers to wipe away the foul fluids in the mouth. This is indeed a good method. However, in hurried situations, one might not have time, so methods using Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma), Gancao (Licorice Root), Zhusha (Cinnabar), and honey are employed, yielding excellent results. Li Dongyuan stated: One only needs Dan Dou Chi (Fermented Soybean Decoction) as a single herb, boiled into soup, and given three to five mouthfuls; the toxicity will naturally descend, and it also assists stomach qi, which is particularly ingenious.

Whatever the wet nurse's constitution (rich or thin), temperament (slow or quick), and morality (good or evil), the infant who drinks her milk will quickly imitate these traits. The relationship here is significant. Unknowingly, after long-term contamination, the child's awareness and nature become identical to the mother's, similar to the transformation of grafting trees; therefore, selection is indispensable.

The *Lunxin Jing* (Classic of Cranial Fontanelles) states: If the fontanelle is not closed, the sinews and bones are soft. Blue veins visible at the fontanelle indicate Lung deficiency failing to nourish. A sunken fontanelle indicates slippery diarrhea and loose stools. A protruding fontanelle indicates unceasing wind disorders. A chronically cold fontanelle indicates clear vomiting and diarrhea. A flaccid fontanelle implies inevitable epilepsy. A flat or defective fontanelle indicates sudden diarrhea prone to collapse. A narrow and elongated fontanelle suggests death upon wind attack. A fontanelle extending to the forehead makes the child susceptible to fright and epilepsy. An incompletely closed fontanelle indicates fear of heat and aversion to cold. A slowly closing fontanelle indicates incomplete prenatal qi. Frequent pulsation of the fontanelle indicates mental confusion and weak qi. A wide fontanelle indicates susceptibility to severe illness. The cranial fontanelle is the gateway of spirit and the sac of apertures. It connects up and down, communicates with Baihui (GV20), allows the seven orifices to penetrate, relies on the five zang organs, houses the Niwang Palace, and serves as the cavity for hun and po souls. When qi is excess, it closes; when qi is deficient, it opens. Indeed, it must close as the child grows. Physicians observing this should discern feasibility and adjust medication accordingly. A wide fontanelle indicates deep-seated disease, where drugs may be difficult to cure; thus, caution is essential.