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Cranial fontanelle displaying blue veins indicates deficiency, where Qi and Blood fail to nourish; a frequently sunken cranial fontanelle is often seen in cases of incessant diarrhea; a soft and flaccid cranial fontanelle makes epilepsy inevitable; a flat and broad cranial fontanelle predisposes to collapse during sudden severe diarrhea; a swollen and protruding cranial fontanelle suggests that wind-phlegm disorders are difficult to cure; a chronically cold cranial fontanelle accompanied by vomiting and green-colored diarrhea indicates internal cold; a tilted or elongated cranial fontanelle carries a risk of fatality upon the onset of wind disorders; a cranial fontanelle extending to the forehead makes the child prone to convulsions (Jing Feng); an underdeveloped cranial fontanelle leads to aversion to heat and wind; delayed closure of the cranial fontanelle indicates incomplete prenatal Qi; rapid pulsation of the cranial fontanelle reflects dullness and weakness of Shen Qi; an excessively wide cranial fontanelle suggests vulnerability to disease harm; an unclosed cranial fontanelle is associated with weak bones and sinews.

Infants breathe in sync with their mothers; when the mother is peaceful, the infant is peaceful, and when the mother is ill, the infant becomes ill—this is an inevitable principle. When selecting a wet nurse, one must ensure she has a gentle and quiet temperament, few desires, and suffers from no chronic diseases or skin conditions such as sores and scabies. Infants inherit Jing and Blood from their parents and develop through transformation. Upon leaving the womb, their Qi and Blood are fragile, relying on the wet nurse’s milk for nourishment. A robust and well-nourished wet nurse produces thick and rich milk, leading to substantial Qi and vitality in the infant who suckles it; conversely, a thin and emaciated wet nurse produces thin and watery milk, resulting in a frail and weak infant. The physical constitution of the wet nurse significantly impacts the child’s lifelong physique. Furthermore, a fierce and violent temperament versus a gentle and quiet one will be imitated by the child; even a slight mismatch can cause the child to transform accordingly. This is akin to the distinction between the Jing and Wei rivers: if the source is clear, the tributaries are clear; if the source is turbid, the tributaries are turbid. Regarding body odor, if an infant suckles from a specific wet nurse, axillary osmidrosis (fox odor) may inevitably occur. If the wet nurse has previously suffered from syphilis (Yangmei Chuang), the infant may contract this disease through breastfeeding. In cases of smallpox, fewer than one in ten infants survive. If the parents have this disease, the fetus receives toxic influence in utero, leading to similar outcomes in smallpox manifestation. I have witnessed cases that could not be saved by medicine; thus, how can one not be cautious in selecting a wet nurse?

Chao Yuanfang stated: In nurturing infants, clothing should not be too warm, as excessive warmth causes sweating, leading to exterior deficiency and susceptibility to wind pathogens. Breastfeeding should not lead to overfullness, as this weakens the stomach, causing injury and making stagnation difficult to resolve. The *Qianjin Fang* states: If summer heat is not avoided, breastfeeding induces vomiting and reflux in infants; if winter cold is not avoided, breastfeeding induces cough and dysentery. Ge Shi said: "Ru" refers to milk, and "Bu" refers to food. One should not give food immediately after breastfeeding, nor breastfeed immediately after feeding. Infants are called "Ya Er" (sprout children), resembling the first shoots of grass. Their Spleen and Stomach are delicate; milk and food easily injure them and are hard to digest. Initial accumulation of food stagnation can, over time, develop into fixed masses (Pi Ji). This is inviting disaster upon oneself; what blame can there be? Zhang Huan stated: At one year of age, the knee bones mature, enabling walking; this is a fixed rule. If infants are kept away from ground Qi to conserve essence within cradles and tents, deprived of exposure to wind and sunlight, they may suffer from weak bones and sinews and fail to walk past the age of one. This is indeed not a method of care. It is like plants: those growing in mountains and forests easily become sturdy and large; whereas exotic fruits and rare flowers in gardens, despite constant cultivation, may bloom without bearing fruit.