OUR BABIES.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13428, 21 May 1909, Page 4

OUR BABIES.

(Bγ Hygkia.)

("Weekly Press and Referee.")

OVERFEEDING AND FEEDING T,OO OFTEN. Whether nursed or brought up artificially, most babies are overfed rather than underfed, and they are fed too frequently. Durufg the last few years an enormous amount of research has been directed towards this question in Germany, and the conclusion arrived at leaves no room for doubt that it is better for both mother and child tj allow longer intei-vals between the feedings than have been customary, aiid in many cases to restrict the total amount given in the twenty-four hours. Women are inclined to say: "But surely- the ' maternal instinct' is the best guide if the baby is breast-fed." There can be no greater fallacy. In human beings reason and custom have como to replace and override instinct even among comparatively primitive peoples, and under the complex conditions of modern civilisation the guidance of instinct cannot be trusted at all. Mankind in a state of Nature made no attempt to habitually turn night into day. Mother and babe lay down to sleep at dusk or soon after dusk, just as most of the lower animals do, but we often find the human mother suckling her baby several times during the night, though it would be better for both to be at rest. Dr. Camerer, a leading German authority, says:— ■

"It is undesirable to give the breast more than eight times during : . twenty-four hours. Every two 'hours is a custom still frequently in vogue, even if the secretion of milk „ sufficient and. %h» baby is weak.-itlt. would be necessary on a two hours interval to interrupt the sleep too 'frequently. The best method is to put the baby to the breast six or seven times in twenty-four hours. . . . The infant should be trained to take its meals in the first week about, every three hours in day-time, •while at night an interval of from five to eight hours should be interposed. If.the infant is very weak and drinks*iJtlle at a time, the intervals* in day-time may be shortened to two and a half hours, but they should never be decreased any fur- . tW Tliis view (accords "vitfo ft growing conclusion arrived at of late not owy in.: (ierinairy, but elaewuere. Thus in Paris Professor Marfan, the leading authority on babies,. says that of late years, even in earliest infancy he has not allowed feeding more often that every two and a half hours, and he finds it better for both mother and child that there should be no suckling between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.—thus allowing six hours of unbroken sleep. American, physioians are following the Continental lead and" advocating even longer intervals thtvn are recommended in the older countries. Thus in 'Chicago several physicians of note are advising feeding only every four hours during the daytime from birth. As the result of a year's experience in: hospital and private practice they express themselves satisfied that the results are better than when babies are fed more frequently. It is probable that tin "four-hour' , feedings would be less injurious than the too frequent "two-hour" feedings, but during the earlier months feeding every three hours be regarded as the ihappy mean which will prove on the whole best for both mother and child, ing the intervals between feedings are obvious. In the daytime the mother has sufficient respite not only for other household duties, but also for rest, recuperation and the reasonable demands of social life. Further, the nervous system is not broken down by undue interruption or loss of sleep. As for the baby, both its digestive organs and its nervous system ar<? equally benefited by not being kept constantly irritated and on the alert. Froebel's injunction, "give space and time and rest," applies equally to the feeding of a baby and the educating: of a child. Our modern tendency 13 to "CRAM" both and leave no time for rest and quiet growth. LOCAL RESULTS. '

Experience at Karitano Home, the Society's Baby Hospital at Dunedm, taken in conjunction with the reports ot Plunket Nurses who of late have been trying longer intervals between confirms the conclusions ar--1 rived at elsewhere. It is found that a change from "two-tour" to "threehour" feedings tends to cause- young babies who have been dyspeptic fretful and restless to take their food with more relish, and to wake up refreshed after a good comfortable sleep between the feedings. However, it must not be supposed that any change in the food or manner of feeding is alone srufficient to ensure siuch results, but they may bs relied on if the mother at the same time gives due attention to fresh air, exercise, regularity of habits, etc. The intervals between feedings given in the Society's pamphlet, ''The Feeding and Care of the Baby," are based on what has been universally recommended hitherto, but I purpose giving next week a feeding-table made to accord with the latest advances in the science of Pediatrics (Care of Children). It is hoped that mothers will cut out this table and past© it into the pamphlet for futnre use.

SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF BABYHOOD A RECENT GROWTH.

It i& strange to reflect that the serious systematic study of infancy and it* needs is of quite recent growth. An encyclopedic work embodying all that has been done in this connection ia Germany during the last ten years

appeared last year, and in the introduction Professor Sohlossman says:— " A peculiar interest, especially within the last ten years, has been accorded to nursing infants. Their nourishment, their care, their shelter in health and sickness, has been the subject of continuous and varied investigations and fills a large place in pediatric literature. . "Many universities still lack adequate facilities to insure profitable instruction in pediatrics, and in many cases have no instructors fully conversant with the progress of our science. "Rightly did Esoherich predict an imminent change in this - direction when he, called attention to the appreciation which infantile therapeutics finds in the most modern seats " of-medicine. , joyful assurance, _• ±h,ere|Qrjs7> we i? forward to the future' 1 of our science* 'Ks practical importance, as well as .the seal of its disciples, insures its progressive and successful development." BUDIN'S CONFESSION. i How babies came to be loft almost entirely out of account is best told in a confession by Professor Budin, of Paris, which appears at the opening of his great book, "The Nursling," just translated into English. Budin, who died only last year> spoke as the leading authority on Maternity and Babyhcod in Paris: "Medical interest in th© welfare of infants is of comparatively recent development. Formerly, the birth ot a child waslin ordeal of life and death to the mother; and the accoucheur, engrossed in her safety, scarce spared a thought for the infant. Nowadays, the accoucheur, freed from anxiety as to the fate of the mother, can now devote his attention to the needs of the infant. Before parturition, he supervises the hygiene of the expectant mother so that she may arrive at term in a healthy condition; during delivery, he takes every precaution to ensure that the child will be born sound and viable; and throughout the first two years \ of life, he directs its feeding with the utmost care." SIB, ALEXANDER SIMPSON. Sir Alexander Simpson, who recently retired from tho Professorship of "Midwifery and Diseases of Children" at Edinburgh University, confirms what. Professor Budin says by writing as follows in his introduction to Budin'e book.— "When I look back on my own Professional and Professorial life, no , memory stings nre with more sharp regret than the thought of tho too little heed I have given to the" needs of the newborn."