婴儿形骸虽具,筋骨甚柔,气质未实,如木之柔条软梗,可使或曲或直或俯或仰也。故百日之内不可竖抱,
竖抱则易于受惊,且必头倾项软,有天柱倒侧之虞。半岁以前不可独坐,独坐则风邪入背,脊骨受伤,有龟背
伛偻之疾。
乳母宜节饮食,饮食下咽,乳汁便通,情欲动中,乳脉便应,病气到乳,汁必凝滞,儿得此乳,疾病立至。
凡择乳母,须
精神爽慧,性情和悦,肌肉充肥,无诸疾病,知寒温之,宜又能节饮食,乳汁浓白,则可以饲儿。又乳母饮食
不可食太酸咸及频饮酒。然饮食之择所系犹小,惟乳母禀受之浓薄,性情之缓急,骨相之坚脆,德行之善恶,
儿能速肖所系甚大,宜谨择之。
胎衣以清水浴过,又以清酒浴之,入钱一文于衣内,盛以新瓶,青布裹口,待满一月之后,择天德、月德、
天恩吉日,于向阳高燥处,掘地三尺埋之,级坚筑勿令有损,俾儿康强不可忽略。
婴儿初生,气欲绝不能啼,必因难产或胃寒所致。急用衣服包置怀中,未可遽断脐带,且将胞衣置炭火上
烘之。仍作大纸燃,蘸麻油点火于脐带下,往来遍熏之,令暖气入腹内,更以热醋汤荡洗脐带,须臾气回啼哭
如常,方可断脐带。或用蕲艾灸脐带亦妙。
婴儿初生遍身无皮,但见红筋红肉,此因母受胎以后,久处高楼,不沾地气故也。用纯黄土研极细末,纳
绢袋轻轻扑之,一日三、四次,以皮生为度。或用白糯米粉扑之亦可。
Although the infant's physical form is complete, the sinews and bones are very soft, and the constitution is not yet solid, resembling the flexible branches and tender stems of a tree, which can be bent, straightened, or tilted at will. Therefore, within one hundred days after birth, the infant should not be held upright; holding them upright makes them prone to fright and inevitably leads to a drooping head and weak neck, with the danger of cervical collapse or deviation. Before six months of age, the infant should not sit alone; sitting alone allows wind-pathogens to enter the back, damaging the spinal column and causing deformities such as hunchback or kyphosis.
The wet-nurse should regulate her diet. Once food is swallowed, the milk flow becomes smooth; if desires stir in the heart, the milk channels respond accordingly, and pathogenic qi enters the milk, causing it to stagnate. If the infant consumes this milk, illness will arise immediately. When selecting a wet-nurse, she must be mentally alert and intelligent, have a gentle and pleasant temperament, possess full and robust muscles, be free from diseases, understand the appropriateness of cold and warmth, be able to regulate her diet, and produce thick, white milk, so that she may nurse the infant. Furthermore, the wet-nurse's diet should avoid excessive sourness and saltiness, and she should not drink alcohol frequently. However, the impact of dietary choices is relatively minor; what matters greatly is the wet-nurse's innate endowment (thick or thin), the slowness or urgency of her temperament, the firmness or fragility of her skeletal structure, and the goodness or badness of her virtue, as the infant will quickly imitate these traits. Therefore, careful selection is essential.
After bathing the placenta in clear water, wash it again with clear wine. Place one copper coin inside the placenta, put it in a new bottle, wrap the mouth with blue cloth, and wait until one month has passed. Then, select an auspicious day corresponding to Tian De (Heavenly Virtue), Yue De (Monthly Virtue), or Tian En (Heavenly Grace). Dig a pit three chi deep in a sunny, high, and dry place, bury the placenta there, compact the soil layer by layer to prevent damage, ensuring the child's health and strength; this matter must not be neglected.
When an infant is born with weak breath and unable to cry, it is usually due to difficult labor or stomach cold. Immediately wrap the infant in clothes and hold them close to the chest. Do not cut the umbilical cord immediately. Instead, place the placenta on charcoal fire to roast it. Simultaneously, make large paper torches, dip them in sesame oil, ignite them, and smoke the area under the umbilical cord repeatedly, allowing warm qi to enter the abdomen. Then, rinse the umbilical cord with hot vinegar water. After a short while, when the breath returns and the infant cries normally, the umbilical cord may be cut. Alternatively, moxibustion with Qi Ai (Artemisia argyi) on the umbilical cord is also effective.
When an infant is born with no skin all over the body, revealing only red meridians and red flesh, this is because the mother, after conception, lived for a long time in tall buildings without contact with earth qi. Use pure yellow earth ground into extremely fine powder, place it in a silk bag, and gently dust it on the infant three to four times a day, until the skin regenerates. Alternatively, using white glutinous rice powder for dusting is also acceptable.