FEDING THE BABY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 24, 23 October 1907, Page 3

FEDING THE BABY.

VALUABLE' i HINTS.' AND SUGGESTIONS. ; v, ; lselow,we'print:the- sixth;:section ■ of an important circular on tho feed-; ; ing and care'of the baby,, which has been issuod by. tho Christchurch and . Duhediri branches, of the Society for , 'Promoting the Health of Women and , 'Children;; The circular-contains such , • admass of:,varuablo information that . we proposo.to 'publish further instal- ; ments from time to time., :■;;;■: -:::>y - -r- VI ,■ -■■■■. ■ ,• .■ :■-..- CLEANLINESS ANfi ) PREVENTION OF ■ FERMENTATION, Cleanliness is the first and last requirement for artificial feeding.. ■-.: ..:..;'..■ . ~. ,■■';■- reeding; bottles., .-.. The' feeding bottlo needs'.as serious coneideration and attention . as, the milk itself. It is'the niairi Source of contamination,-ana should <be capable' of easy, sterilisation. 1 hero must be no tube.' 'The , use ofordinary tube tending bottles is' actually contrary to law in France' and'some-other enlightened countries; Whatever 'form is used -it must be clearlv understood "that a child should- bo nursed while feeding, just-as if ltwero guckled,' to prevent undue haste, suckmg-m of air." etc.- /The feeding;bottle must be actually boiled twico a.day. Cover ;com-plotely,-with 'warm water, and ■do not heat suddenly, or there will be a great liability to craclv. . It is better ; to'have two or more, feeding bottles 'to' provide against cracking, and.'to have a cloanorie always ready. However, ■ the : latter • point can be attained with a single' feeder by always cleansing it immediately 'aftor. , iiso, which should be done in any 'case. .Nippies should be frequently renewed,.andishoiild bo large enough to be readily turned.inside out after.each feeding, so that "they :may bo ■' scoured with a tooth brush specially;for th-3 -purpose,- and used for no other; , ' > The apsrtufo should be adapted to tlie sucking , power, of/the/particular infant. A tiny hole suffices foiua child who slicks fast- Extra holes can be pierced with a redhot needle if needed. .Besides being scoured, all rubber parts should be scalded," and in the interval between feoding they should be kept wjth -the clean feeding bottlo. in cold boiled water, to which a tcaspoonful of clean borax or washing soda lias been added. Borax is preferable, to washing. soda. Rinse with boiled water before using. In either case the solution should be made fresh every day, and' kqpt covered to exclude ' falling particle's. Cleansing : of bottles and rubbers should' always be carried out. immediately after/use.■' '■■' , :: -' ! •" : ''•.■ i' - -•■ _ The, ideal system • in common use in America is-to have a holder provided with . as. many; feeding bottles as • tho' number of feedings , 'needed , for the day. The foo'd for 24 hours is poured at once into the feeders, which are' then plugged with-icotton' wool, and can- be heated to' loodeg. Fahr. and cooled rapidly.'This plan obviates all risk of contamination of'food by pourins.many' times out of the same bottle or jug. Tho proper warmth for babyrfood is from 98deg. to lOOdeg.'Fahr., as tested by a dairy thermometer' "placed: in the middle of the milk in the feeder. To prevent unduo cooling during ieedirig; slip over the feeding bottle a small flannel bag provided with a. drawstring. ' ■ '. .:■-•.•-. ■•:--.- .-.-.•■ / , BABY'S ILLNESS. ••. J In any;case where-a. baby is suffering from illness a doctor should be consulted, but if such .aid bo not available the general scheme ehown below, may' suffice. Habitual vomiting after feeding is'usually due to tho. infant being given , too much food and being allowed to suck too rapidly and greedily without interruption. The remedy is obvious. "Whero the : mother resorts;' to ■ feeding partly from the breast", and partly from tiio bottle, too much food.is almost invariably given,' and more or less vomiting results. Attention should,"of. course, be paid also to the habits of the m6thor,"as affecting the quality of her milk; or to the proper preparing of' artificial food. At the onset of any marked digestive disturbance, it is ' beat to ensuro prompt cleansing of the bowels by means of a dose of castor oil—say, from one to two drachms, according to'tho' ago of tho infant. Tlio ; average requirement is an ordinary teaspoon■ful." ';y- ■ ■ -'■ ■ •-'. •' •■•■' - ' ■ . .- Kegimen for babies suffering from acute indigestion or from diarrhoea nnd vomiting reBulting from improper feeding :-— l.J'or 12 hours— , : ; . ~ Water (boiled)." ■ 2. For 12, hours— 'Sugar of milk solution. 8. For. 24 hours or more— . ' .' \ Curdlessmilk; / : ' ' 4.; For 'li hours or'/more— ' <■''■■■ Curdlcss milk with one-sixth of boiled' milk. 6. For 48 hours or more— Curdicss milk. ' . .! : • Humanised milk. Gradually and cautiously work up to pure humanised milk. Diarrhoea is'.by far the most frequent • canso of death in young children, and wboro it does not kill it often maims for life. Hence mpthors should on no account allow it to continue without calling in a doctor. If rapid improvement , does not tako place on making the. simple dietetic changes indicated above, the.'baby should have appropriate medicino as well. ..,,,.....;'_. In nearly all cases the immedinto cause is caroless artificial.feeding, especially in warm weather. . Infantile diarrhoea would rarelv ocour, oven among, bottle-fed ' babies, if mothers and nurses would pay strict attention to the following points :— ■> PRECAUTIONS. 1. Feeding Bottle.—No tubo, perfect cleanliness. .*. ' •. ■ ' a. l''ood.—Avoidance of cane sugar, condonsed milk, patent foods, etc. Scrupulous caro in .unking, and safeguarding humanised milk. Eternal watchfulness in warm weather, whon microbes rapidly, accumulate, in millions if given nn opportunity. Milk or any other fluid used as baby-food must bo kept as cool as possible. 3. Daily attention to the state of the bowels and tho appearance of the motions. The dangor signal is .green colour apparentin the. stools at the timo they, are passed. Directly this is noticed put tho baby on pure boilocl water or sugar of milk solution, as •previously instructed under tho heading "Indigestion."

. ] ' 4. A chill is ofton the oxciting causo of diarrhoea; thercforo special attention should 1 bo paid to having infants sufficiently clacl at ] all times', but not unduly muffled up. They ] are mado very suscuptiblo to cold by,being i kopt too much indoors, by living-in stuffy, I unvoiitilated,.overwarm rooms, and by wearing too heavy clothing, especially whon in tho hoiiso. Tlio question as to whether ordi- i narilv strong children-should have, tho logs I and foot habitually clad after they' can wa k can walk and have • become , fairly i nc'tivo is one upon which.. there, is j room for difference of opinion; . but I thero is no question that all delicate infants ( beyond tho stngol of long cMhes .should havo i thbir legs and foot suitably, clad. Undue-or 1 untimely ' and careless exposure . will not ( hardoii an infant, but will render it delicate ( and prono to catch cold. Quickness in bath- j ing and in getting an infant dressed after- j wards is of great importance. Many chills ( are duo to dawdling at tho bath..' Plenty of | fresh air and sunlight, propor food, regular , feeding and regular habits arc the true means f by. whiich to ensure strength, and hardiness. ~■ '-.-.. '. .■ . . . 1 How many movements daily, should an in- , fant have during tho first few weeks of lifer 1 —Usually two or. three a day for tho first ] week, arid then one or two each day.. How many after a child is a month .old ?—A .'healthy child should have at least ono movement "each day; many havo two, and some more than two. ■ : i , . .] 'Normal' mother's milk, containing, as it ' does, abundance of fat .from tho beginning, .1 has no constipating .tendency; but during ' tho first few. weeks of lifo babies..cnniiot < digest a full supply of any othor form of fat. I Even with humanised milk ,wo,cannot; give < 'onough fat at this period .to ensure '.regu-larity-of the bowels in every.c'aßO. Arti- ' ficially-fed babies generally suffer, more or less, from constipation during tho hrst ] month, ..but this tends .to disappear as .the food is mada stronger. . . ... , - 1 ■• ■ Too much curd and too little fat m, the food, clue to the use of mero diluted; cow s i .milk, tends to cause obstinate constipation , , j Boiling makes tho milk still more binding. 1 Hpa'ting , should therefore not be carried, ab.ovo 155deg. l''ahr. Indigestion, arising from the i ■uso of patent foods, often gives rise to con- i stipation, alternating with diarrhoea., i Humanised milk, containing a normal per- ; contage' of fat, has no constipating:tondency. 1 .lime-water used in,preparing humanised milk - can be replaced for a time by fluid magnesia. Thus in making the day's supply of foodioz. 1 each of lime-water and. fluid magnesia may he I used instead of adhering to the standard for- \ mula. . This should-.not bo .continued for i more than a v/eok without a doctor's 'advice, i Remember that all purgatives,and sooth- ] ing"powders are injurious, and that per- i sistent constipation must be regarded as a ] condition -of disease needing careful treat- < rnent under medical supervision. ;'... ..-■' i : NEED FOR THINKING. , ' The extromo importance .of care- and sys-' i tern iii the rearing of babies' is becoming so ! universally recognised that there ; is some hope now'that; many mothers may bo brought j to.givo serions attention to thom'attci'i and 1 try to understand the simple -requirements i ossontialfor tho health 5 of thonisolvos mid i their offspring. Moantinio only compare- 1 t-ivcly few of tho more sensible women "are 1 prepared to take adequate-trouble-to understand the simplest reasons for what they are 1 daily called upon to do, or to avoid doing, in the interests of their offspring. Tho ■ ideal baby food of tho typical modern mother ■ is a powder' to"which only warm water heed ; be added, and a feeding-bottle and comforter; with which the child can be, left to : ifcselF■■indefinitely. . If any properly regulated ; system is advocated they ask to have it ex- i pressed in half a' dozen all-oinbracing, hard- ■'. and-fast : rules, to bo Mindly followed without calling for thought. Unfortunately,-the.oxcr-ciso of intelligence cannot be dispensed with. Indeed, reason hecomes continually more ne- , cessary for women as they depart farther.and ' farther from the simple ways of. Nature, and ■ the whole of the knowledge they need cannot ( bo compressed into a nutshell. ■ , However, there are certain first principles—one might ; almost say' commandments—which every ■ mother ought to have ingrained into her. : ■' " .; .golden: rules." 1.. if possible, baby should be breast-fed. ( Failing this, feed with humanised milk, but nover start with nearly full strength. (Soo prorious instructions in a.former article.) • 2. In any case, baby must be fed regularly --every two hours during tho first -month, every two and a-half hours for the noxtj three months, and every three hours from tho; end of'the'fourth, to the end of the ninth month. Regular habits, are essential; thereforo wake the baby if.it happens, to bo asleep when meal-time comos,round.' !_.....;... i!. if a baby is artificially fed, the bottle nsed must not have a long tube, but simply arubber teat. The bottle must be kept scrupulously .dean. Never omit to choroughly mix the milk before pouring it into .the feeder.;' ... ■ 4. Don't uso any infant soother. It is utterly, unnecessary, and is always prejudicial .to health. ''••..-' : . .. ■ 5. Don't fall into' the bad habit of resorting to grey powders or teething powders and 3uch unnecessary..drugs. No'.drug .should over,bo given to an intant, save under medical advice.. ' ' .'. ..., . 6. Remember that patent "foods" should never bo given to babies—at least until they aro 10 months old, and then they needed, because "Oat Jelly," 'rusks,' s"tale broad, etc., are as good or better! 7. Don't listen to tho advico of so-called "experienced" peoplo merely, becauso they have brought up a number of children, and thereforo think they know how babies should be fed. ; . ••• ■ 8. An infant should never remain in its. cot continuously in one i position: Not only should its position in the ,cot be changed from time to time, but every few hours it should be taken up and carried about the room. ■■■,'.■'•.••'■■ ' ' .■•"■.■'•' 9. A baby will' not thrive properly unless it has free exercise for its limbs by kicking, and full expansion of its lungs by natural vigorous crying from time to time. - : 10. Clothing should be light, porous, warm, free from irritating properties, • sufficiently loose to allow perfect freedom of the limbs. , and free play for expansion of chest and abdomen, but not eo looso as to ruck into folds. - ■ ■ > . , ,11. Let the baby havo plenty-of-fresh air day and night, and take it out into' sunlight, merely shading tho face from direct glare. If. the weather is fino the infant (unless premature or otherwise specially, delicate) should bo taken out of d6ois when about a week old ■ for a few minutes, the outing being gradually prolonged. , •,. . 12. The nursery should havo a sunny, aspect, should not be overheated, and should have a current of air passing through it day and night, Keep the baby out, of direct draught; cool air does good after a week or so if the baby is protected from draught and ■properly clad. Premature babies need warmer air for some time. 13. The daily bath for tho first six months should be given at a temperature, of OSdeg. to lOOdeg. Fahr. Always bath and dress rapidly; no dawdling. If the infant is weakly, turns palo, and becomes blue about tho lips, discontinue the tub and substitute washing quickly with a wot cloth. After two years, of ago the baby may bo .stood with jts feet in warm water while a largo bath sponge dipped in cold water (first at a temperature of 70deg. Fahr.; gradually reduco later to as low as sSdeg. or oven 50deg. Fnhr.) is squeezed over the. body two or three times. i''ollow this by brisk towelling, rapid dressing, find active exercise. '. U. Jiarly education of bowols mid bladdor is of paramount importanco. An infant should bo "hold out" at regular times every day. ' 15. A baby needs abundance of sleep. A newly-born babe should sleep nine-tenths of its time. At six months it should sleep twothirds of the timo. If it is sleepless it is .uncomfortable, duo most probably to its being dyspeptic, overfed or hungry, wot, or suffering from irritation of tho skin. Rules such as tho above are excellent guides as.far as they go, but no such set rules will save Mm baby if women fail to cultivate the use of thought and common sense in dealing with the.various matters which daily crop up in the course of rearing babies.