OUR BABIES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12869, 23 May 1936, Page 10

OUR BABIES

(By “Hygeia.”)

Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). “It is wiser to put* up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom."

THE! NEW BORN BABY

THE; MATTER; OF FOOD

(Continued)

There, is: only one right food for the new-born, baby—mother’s milk. Except in the greatest arid saddest ■calamity which can befall: a. new-born baby—the loss* of his mother—there is only one definite and unalterable reason, for bottle feeding from birth, and that, its consumption, (or tubercuolsis) in the mother. The rule is : that natural feeding isi best for both motheu and. baby; any other exeep,tions to it. are very rare, find: weaning' should he carried out only by the doctor's orders. On the other ha*htl difficulties with breast* feeding may and often do arise, and these may assume such proportions as seem to indicate weaning, hut experience lia.s proved: that* these are almost, always due to preventable mistakes)’ in management, and can be remedied under skill led! supervision.

THE FIRST STAGES IN FEEDING

Before birth baby is nourished! by hiSi mother’s blood, without any effort on. In's) pari—that is to so, without any direct use of his digestive organs. He comes l into the world with ' hese organs perfectly and: delicately adjusted to deal with, the right food* ■according to Nature’s plan. It behoves us to really understand) what that plan, is and to assist the natural processes. We cannot improve 'on Nature.

As wo have .said., baby’s digestive organs: are perfect and ready far use at! birth, hut they arc new) and, untried. Everything depends on the proper beginning or gradual education of the digestive organs. 1 Nature Las provided the ideal educative food in the fluid which is normally secreted in tho mother's breasts for the first :ca\[ days. This fluid is* quite different from true breast milk. At first it closely resembles tho nourishment baby has received before birth, reqiuir.'ng the .least possible* digestion, and being absorbed bv tho body without throwing any strain at all on the tiny delicate organs. Then day by da,a? this fluid alters in composition and changes into true breast milk, thus.' bringing baby’s digestive system by almost imperceptible degrees to deal with mother’s milk, the natural food. The quantity, also, is vjsr.v small at- (first, and increases about the third day, when the secretion of milk in the breasts, stimulated by the baby’s sucking, really gets under way. Knowing these facts, iti is easy for one to realise how tremendously important it is that baby should receive this early secretion of breast milk with its special properties, and 'also how important it is that he should receive no other food. A few sips of warm: boiled water may be given if baby is restless and seems thirsty, but nothing else at all unless the active secretion of milk is' definitely delayed beyond the third or fourth day. Even in giving water the quantity should be restricted to two or three tea-spoonfuls, at a t:'!me, and the greatest care should T.e taken that it is- about t.hoj temperature of blood heat and that no a“r is swallowed with it.,

The taking of food in. the first place sets all the* digestive system! in motion, and normally the digestive process goes on Avith a perfectly smooth and: regular action all the time, the food iSwaiUoAvod, passing painlessly through the digestive tract, the residue being finally expelled at more or less regular intervals as a motion. If too much food is. given to a baby for even too much water), if the food is given ati irregular or too frequent intervals, or if unsuitable food is given and imperfectly digested, this normally painless process often becomes 1 very painful. Baby suffers acutely from Ariind and colic, lii's* abdomen becomes) hard! and distended, and oncet the habit of colic'it, often takes Aveekef or even months- to correct it.

HOURS OF FEEDING Generally speaking, the baby should he put to both breasts for a flaw 'mi-mutes as soon, as both, mother and baby are bested—say in- Six to eight- hours after baby’s- birth. After ’-(bat. it is; best to put him to both breasts at four-hourly intervals-, with eight; -hours’ rest at night—that i» to say, five; feeds- in. 2-1 hours. Fourho.urly deeding from birth suits the; great, majority *of healthy, normal babies if properly managed, but no hard and fast rule can be laid down. If it appears that ;a. six-hourly interval: would be preferable for the first day or two, there is no objection to this course. Small! or delicate babies may do best in three-hourly interval's for ft few wfesjos.

The all-important factor is regularity, whether three or fotir-lroririy intervals aid selected for the particular'baby. A regular rhythm of Avork and rest for the digestive organs set up in the early Avdelcf ©f life :,-.j the ■very .best foundation for contentment and feat itfnotion right through. 1 It issems hard to Avake a, sleeping baby Avlieri feeding time conics round but it j® well* Avofth while to establish regular habits: bricel and for all— habits which. Avill ensure no only that baby Avill »l.e&pl ‘more.; biit will sleep more souri'dljv and 'consequently have' bet; ter health.

Tho alteration of a iiiime / withoutthe apparent’ authority "of a pcrisiJri Wearing' an’ . information evoked critical c-binttient ’ froni ! * !! Mr. H IP 1 . Lawrv, S;M.‘, in tho Wellington' Magistrate’s Court/ when Several peniohs were charged with "railing to' keep section's : frets' af• ragivort. In one ease the name Edward-, was added to that of Keith Kirkc'aldie on the* informal tion and summoh's -nlfter ap to serve Keith Kirkcaldic. The mabis'tria.te said ; that 'it/'Ava ; s ;iri ’extl'ao.ivb inary procedure and the! infoum.uiori ivas AvitbdraAvn by leave of the court by tho' Department of Agriculture Press Assn.