FEEDING THE BABY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 18, 16 October 1907, Page 3

FEEDING THE BABY.

:{;<l ■■?"■■*.■;'■■,;:>;■,: ; , ;-:"■;■;.;■ \- .Valuable hints anb, stjggestions., ■ii.',!i! ; Bolow, Ho. print.^tho^first,section- :■•-. -..--■■-.. of an important circular'on. tho feed-, ~, ,vf. :ing. and careof the baby, which, has '~ -. .■■■.!■;:; been issued by.tho Christchiirch and ' .'." .-; ■-■I)unedm!brauches of the Society!' for, ; : ' ; , '■ promoting the Health.of ,Wpmen ; and "..■,'■ '!. i-Children. -! The, circular contains such ~. ■■■ , a mass !pf valuable information that . i:. .wo,propose'to publish further iistal- ; ■:'..■:. ments.J'roni,time to.time. , .< .;....■:■., ;..'•,..!'• : ! \ v - ■'.;•',;• ■.■'■'■'v'l. - •'>'.■■ •■■;'■:•- v'?:-i-"'-, -i.V./. FEEDING.' '■! : ''. '' ,•,,'- : , ■:. • ——Y ''"-,- '' ' ■ .. Accuse .i not-Naturo, ,';she hath -.'done' her. '■[ ;'! part; ■~'-■ .-. ■'■:■:.'■ ■-.-,, . , ; ." .■.•..;• .... "f?;I)o thpuv.but thine/—Milton.. : . ■:-.. "'■• A' woman's milk is not her own: ■ It: is created for the. baby, and : the first duty of the/mother is to ensure, by ' foresight, a .'proper supply .of,.the, .only porfect. food— the. baby's birthright."'''." ; ■ ;'•".'v ' ■■■'• :| Thorei.is ; a .special and intimate, relationship'.'.between'.' the/milk 'of the mother . and :'• the": digestive'- and..nutritive needs iof : her; own' offspring. If two women interchange thriving babies; both in--fahts tend to suffer from indigestion/Hence every'mother should, if possible, fulfil her maternal duties. , ,-. : : - ,'V :; -; ;;■;; EFFECT ON MOTHERS.:, f \ , This-is; alm'ost'as important for the ultimate health,- strength, ;■ and vigour of the, '■mother as it is<for the baby.. The intangible' mental, moral,; emotional, and affective considerations involved. are too. obvious, to. need 'dwelling on; but.thoro is an equally important physical fact which should be universally known. In the natural course of events a now- being';,-nourished up to-tho-time of birth'by. orgaps; situated in :the abdominal 'cavity,.(draws .its -food v supply, , after; birth, from another set-of organs distant from tho .first.' ■ The;. effect :of .this'••' is to .divert tho blood' supply ,and functional activity, to 'tho 1 breasts,'.' and the. temporarily enlarged; abdo- • ininal organs then Quickly shrink to thoir normal weight and,dimensions., Not so, how-, •ever, when suckling is evaded..ln such cases the- internal i organs-, remain' congested and enlarged, -and:.whon-tho mother resumes her. ordinary-life various; .distortions and dis: placements are liable. to- occur. To .this; one departure from i Nature our race owes a yery -,large proportion-:of'.,the: special ,disabilities and diseases of women .which are: s'pi characteristic, a;feature, of modern? life,, and which so frequently; call/for special .treatment■ or operation later, on. ,| .'■ : : . : : .. ; • ... ",,. '.'■' The • foil owing - : excellent -advice regarding the-, breasts is giveii-by Professor ChapinJ ;qf"-New, ;-Yorfc:^ ..;:',.■•:•( ~■',-.... ;,-,<-..." . :• ,' "f'All; possible foresight should be: used, in totting- the prospective -mother,!'or her duties. Jj'or several months ■ before axpected, delivery the nipples should bo gently rubbed between , the. thum|) and fingers, depressed or. mis-, shapen nipples beingithereby:drawn out and developed ;this also toughens them and prevents, .possible .tenderness ,;.or ■; fissure -that would interfere with, nursing. Tight-clothing over the breasts should be avoided. 1 Bathing -the. nipples witli boric acid or borax" solution, one-half teaspoonful to a, cup of water, promotes cleanliness .and : therefore tends to -avoid possible, infection and. soreness during the "nursing period.: As.soon as convenient, after births (cer.tairly. -within twelve hours) the; baby should ; be put to the breast to stimulate, tho. secretion., of mi1k.;,... ,; ; .',;;. ;■;' ■'■ •V: GENERAL FORESIGHT/ : ' '' There (ire a ■ fewi- cases of, special debility where; artificial feeding has to ,be. resorted to in.the.interests of both.mother and child, : but. nine. case's out 'of ton,, where! "there, is insufficient milk, or the milk disagrees this is duo to-'the-.faot.',that'i the mother has! lea,, and-.is probalily, continuing to lead, too sedentary a life,-and is not careful enough as to. her habits. No raothor has given herself or her baby a fair, chance unless . she has tried the effect of taking a ■reasonable amount of open air, exercise;(say ' at; least a walk of two'.miles ,a. day),' and being out in,tho "sunshine- as much as. her circumstances .will permit, besides keeping tho windows oppn'day and night.-'- Puro air sunshine havo. ; almost as much .effect on health and strength, of both mother and .child as good food,; and no woman can bo in hor host, form as a mother who neglects to take regular open-air exorcise throughout,.pregnancy and after childbirth The highest, authorities-havo como to the conclusion ,that- dofectivo supply and'inferior quality of mother's" milk is generally duo more, to indigestion and constipation resulting from insufficient exercise and "lack of exposure, to open air, thah,,to careless 'ieeding .itself,...though; diet .'is generally at fault also., In many cases too much'rich fntty, overcooked, spiced, or otherwiso intligestiblo food is .eaten. Some women take more moat than is beneficial, and arc not ; c'areful enoiijzh abpiit plain, wholesome good cooking.: . Tho. mother needs an abundant simple,: nutritious diet." including fruit niid vogetables, plenty of, fluids,' and-n'p alcohol in any form..;.. Fresh;, milk, eggs, ■ i porridgo, and jstalo bread : or!. toast, with ' fish and meat! in : moderation, form a sniihd-'.bnsis. The taking of a reasonable quantity of good cow's milk tonds to .incrcaso the .supply , 'of mother's milk. A mother needs' very 'much more food.to keep up her nutrition, weight, and strength when , suckling her baby than she does boforo its birth.' : BABIES' -RIGHTS.

■i. Regular habits for the' baby are also of tho 1 first importance. A baby cannot ho expected to thrive if its mother is not regular and punctual in tho matter of bathing, feeding, and putting, hor infant, to rest,:6tc.'>. . • . '. ■ ' •' ilefore describing artificial feeding,, it is desirable to state emphatically that no device will over ensure to the infant - advan-

tagcs at all comparable to' suckling: by its mother. Human milk cannot be mado outside tlio human , hotly. We can approach it in composition by carefully modifying' tho milk of some other mammal, but the imitation cannot bo mado identical with the original, and must always bo inferior to it. Nothing can rival milk drawn direct from tho breast into tho baby's stomach—pure rrosn living, blood-warm, and uncoiitami, natod by germs.. Humanised mills' is incomparably superior to any other form of nrtihcinl . lood, but it is not human milk; ami the best glass and indiahibbcr feeding ■ijottlo is a troublesome,' unclean, clumsy contrivance compared with tho living breast, Jivory infant which cannot be suckled in tho natural way is entitled to receive, proper Humanised- JHIk. Ordinary cow's milk ClllntO'.l with water and sweetened with csrio sugar is 'qiiito an unfit food for babies,'and though some may SC cnV to thrive in spite of such a diet, it should ho clearly recognised that tho imperfectly-nourished svsteni will torn! to suffer and show its defost's and disabilities later on in life. Tho fowling of young infants with patent baby foods or with dried or condensed milk is' still raoce injurious. They do not contain tho natural vital principles and food constituents indispensable to normal infant nutrition, and development. Bubics may seem to flourish for a time on such food, but in the' majority of eases indigestion shows itself in the long run, and the child is fortunate if it escapes serious diarrhoea or an attack of rickets. ' Imper-fectly-fed children are" :iot only more' liiHe to contract illness of any kind, but thev nave :also'-httlo power of throwing off disease, and succumb readilv. ...'.■■-.