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Whenever the weather is cold, if a newborn baby does not cry or cries weakly, one should immediately wrap the infant in clothing. Then, use a paper wick soaked in sesame oil to cauterize and sever the umbilical cord near moxa fire, allowing warm qi to enter the abdomen so that the infant gradually makes sounds and survives. If scissors are used to cut the umbilical cord, it may lead to death due to loss of qi. In cases of "stifled navel" (a condition where the anus is sealed by a membrane preventing crying), one should gently pat the area with the hand; if the membrane breaks, the infant can cry. If patting fails to break it, a woman with nimble hands must gently pierce it with a silver hairpin. If piercing is impossible, immediately hold the infant tightly in warm clothing without letting go, soak the placenta in medicinal water, and heat the water if the weather is cold. After a while, internal heat will build up, causing the membrane to rupture naturally, allowing the infant to cry and regain consciousness.

On the third day after birth, some people apply moxibustion at the center of the hairline to treat pathways for wind invasion. However, this method is suitable only because the land in the northwest is often cold; it is absolutely unsuitable for the southeast where the land is damp.

On the second day after birth, check if there are white bubble-like spots on the roof of the mouth. If present, gently scrape them open with a silver needle, remove the white rice-grain-like substance inside the bubbles, ensuring none falls into the throat, and then rub the area with aged ink. If not removed by the next day, the bubbles become hard and difficult to break, delaying treatment. Also, "horse teeth" (white spots on the gums resembling broken rice grains) must be promptly picked out and rubbed with ink. Check every other day and pick again if they reappear.

On the third day after birth, it is traditionally said to perform the "washing three" ritual. If exposed to wind and cold, "umbilical tetanus" (neonatal tetanus) may arise. Even in summer, one must avoid wind, and in winter, one must be extremely cautious. Moreover, bathing should be avoided for newborns to prevent external pathogens from invading.

When cutting the umbilical cord at birth, use a small ball of Qimoxa (Qizhen Ai), soak it in sesame oil, burn it until charred, and then cut the cord. The umbilical stump must be bound with soft cotton cloth to prevent urine from wetting the navel; this is the primary method for preventing umbilical tetanus.

After the umbilical cord falls off, wash it with a clean brush. Place the cord on a new tile and burn it around the edges with charcoal until the smoke nearly ceases. Remove it, place it back on the tile, cover it with a bowl to preserve its properties (Cunxing), and grind it into fine powder. Process transparent Cinnabar (Zhusha, 朱砂) into powder using the water-floating method. Mix two parts of Cinnabar powder with four parts of umbilical cord ash. Blend this mixture with honey and apply it to the nursing mother's nipple for the infant to suckle, helping to expel turbid qi and fetal toxins through the stool. This ensures the survival of all infants and is a wonderful method for prolonging life. Any insects within the umbilical cord should be removed.

Newborns inevitably have nodules in both breasts. These should resolve completely; otherwise, they swell and harden into toxicity, causing incessant crying. During the initial bath, massage the milk out of both breasts, and the nodules will disappear naturally.

For newborns, daily wipe the mouth two or three times with tea mixed with a little salt. This method is very stable and effective, yet often ignored by the world. It removes fetal toxins from sticky saliva, preventing conditions such as mumps (Zhangma, 痄腮), horse teeth, thrush (Ekou, 鹅口), double tongue (Chongshe, 重舌), and wooden tongue (Mushe, 木舌). It is an extremely simple and easy good prescription. If the infant's face and lips are pale, use light ginger soup instead of the tea-salt solution.

Infants within the first month should not be held or fed immediately upon crying. One must allow the infant to cry frequently so that heat toxins from the womb dissipate and fright qi resolves. Within a month, diseases such as double tongue, wooden tongue, trismus (Koujin, 口噤), fetal wind (Taifeng, 胎风), and fetal heat (Tai re, 胎热) will be avoided.

When sleeping with the mother, one must strictly avoid blowing nasal breath or mouth breath onto the infant's fontanelle, lest it cause wind diseases.

Although a newborn has a formed body, their bones and sinews are very soft, and their constitution is not yet solid, like the flexible branches of a young tree that can be bent or straightened. Therefore, do not hold the infant upright within the first hundred days; doing so may cause sadness and fright, leading to head tilting and neck weakness, with the risk of cervical collapse. Do not let the infant sit alone before six months; sitting alone allows wind pathogens to enter the back, injuring the spine, leading to hunchback (Guibei, 龟背) and kyphosis. Be cautious.

After two months of age, on sunny and mild days, have the nursemaid hold the infant in the wind and sunlight. This strengthens blood and qi and makes muscles dense, enabling tolerance to wind and dew. If wrapped in thick clothes and warm blankets, hidden in heavy curtains and tight rooms, the bones and sinews become soft and brittle, unable to withstand wind and cold, making illness more likely. Thus, poor children are strong and disease-free, while rich children are fragile and prone to disaster, just as young plants covered tightly without wind, sun, or rain become yellow and weak.

Children's clothes should be made from old garments of seventy- to eighty-year-old elders to ensure longevity for the child. Even wealthy families must not make new silk clothes. When receiving guests for celebrations, strictly avoid killing living beings.

Infants aged four to five months should only drink milk. Thin porridge can be introduced after six months. Before one year of age, absolutely no meat, greasy, raw, or cold foods should be consumed. Meat can be introduced after two or three years. Avoid eating meat too early. Do not feed milk after eating meat, and do not feed food after drinking milk. Never feed milk immediately after crying or laughing.

When bathing, protect the infant's back, as wind and cold enter through the back, potentially causing epilepsy (Xianfeng, 痫风). Therefore, infants should not be bathed too often. When bathing, cover the navel well to prevent dampness, which might cause trismus and umbilical tetanus. If there is dampness in the navel, burn red wool into ash and apply it to bind the area.

Avoid administering medicine to healthy infants to prevent errors and mishaps.

From birth to ten years old, children's clothes should not be exposed overnight, as this easily attracts evil influences. There is a bird called Tiandi Nu (Heavenly Emperor's Daughter), also known as Yinfei Niao (Hidden Flying Bird), which loves flying over during rainy nights. Its feathers may fall into family eaves and get into children's clothes, causing epilepsy. If clothes have been exposed overnight, fumigate them with vinegar immediately. Shaving the head must be done in a warm place. After shaving, mix three fen of Bohe (Menthae Herba, 薄荷), three peeled and core-out Almond kernels (Xingren, 杏仁), and three to four drops of raw Sesame Oil (Shanzhima You, 芝麻油). Grind them into a paste and rub it on the head to prevent wind pathogens...

If a child aged four or five can only call people but cannot speak, grind real Red Adzuki Beans (Chi Xiaodou, 赤小豆) [see Materia Medica Preparation Essentials] into powder, mix with wine, and apply under the tongue for two or three...