OUR BABIES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 April 1925, Page 15

OUR BABIES

(By Hygeia). ["Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society of the Health of Women and Children (Plunket' Society.] V MOTHER’S BETTER FROM SOUTH AFRICA. “I consider myself exceedingly fortunate in having obtained two <sf youi I rooks —‘The Expectant Mother’ and ‘Feeding and Care of Baby’—to help me in the care of mine. “I have followed your methods as here outlined, to the best of my ability, with excellent results. I only wis.:, there were an institution in Souti, Africa (Durban more particularly) where vour methods were practised. “My baby is now live and a-half months old, and weighs lOjlb (6-Jjb at birth), and looks very fit and chubbyI had to start- mixed feeding after a month (not knowing how to massage) and kept that up till she was nearly five months old, when I put her entirety on the botte. She has only lour feeds a day (5 a.m., 9.30, 1.45, and 6 p.m.), and has had since she was II weeks old. 1 am giving her humanised milk 11, only with cream and milk instead ol top milk —this because the climate- is t-qo hot to allow the milk to stand long, and because it would be too awkward to wait till 12 or 1 a.m. to make up the second lot of food (I make it'twice daily). We have our own mil -: and separator, so «tiiat we know tincream is fresh and good. Baby Constipated. ‘ “The only trouble with baby is that she is constipated, and has been more or less since she was about two and a-half months. I have tried massage, saline injections, and everything recommended. She responds to if fresh stimulus, and then goes hack. Enemas seem to have no effect, or very little immediate effect, and if she goes the whole day without a motion I giye her Maglactis with her 6 p.m. drink. Tins always answers well, and seems to.'improve the colour and consistency of the stools. At first her bowels seemed merely lazy, and when the motions came they were all right, but lately - more especially since she has been on the bottle entirely-—the stools have been ‘formed’ and difficult to pass, although a fairly good colour. “I have tried reducing the amount of cream, which made things much worse; and then increasing the amount, which temporarily made things much better. But now she is getting constipated again through the stoois being too bulky to pass easily, and Maglactis is toy only resource (only after I have tried massage and saline injection). “I can only' think that it is her food that is" at fault, for she has plenty of fresh air and exercise, sleeps well is regular in her habits (except this' one), has fruit juice, suitable clothing, etc. We live miles away from a doctor, and, in any case, I do not know one who follows your methods or on whose advice ! could entirely rely. “I see ‘ that Plunket Emulsion is recommended by you to take the place of cream, and would very much like to try it. ’lt would he awkward, however, to order it from New Zealand or Australia as I needed it. Have you any agents in South Africa? If not would you let me have it made up here. “I should he very grateful if you would send the recipe and a small supply to go on with, and any a3vi.ee you may have to offer about constipation. * I forgot to mention also that she has been putting vp food after feeding, and even after her sleep, for the last two or three weeks, and I’m sure it is not through overfeeding, irregular or frequent feeding, iior through jolting,' etc., afterwards. 1 also withdraw the teat frequently during feeding. ' “As the matter is urgent, I should like a reply" as soon as possible, more especially as T shall be travelling in three or' four months’ time, and the emulsion would lie so much more convenient than cream. I enclose P.,0, for £l. Thanking you in anticipation, and with all good wishes for 'the success ‘and progress of your splendid work.’

COMMENT. Although the mother is sure that, baby has not been overfed, the followin'' - indications uoint in that direction in”spite of the fact that she has been fed only four times a day:— (1) Baby has gained in weight more rapidly tlym the average. (2) The motions are large and bulky. (3) She has been putting up food after feeding, and even after her sl€*Gp. NOTES BY SIR TRUBY KING. 'We were fortunate to be able to submit the letter to Sir Truby King, and he made the following notes on it: '’There is no doubt whatever that the baby has been overfed. The parents are in no sense to blame for this. It happens almost invariably when a baby is fed Partly on the breast and partly by bottle (so-called mixed feeding), unless the precise amount drawn from the breast* in the 24 hours is ascertained bv weighing the baby beiore and after nursing from time to tijne.

Fat Constipation. ‘Further, in all probability the allowance ol fat has been too great in the bottle food. My reasons fbr thinking this are : • “1. The fact is that the great tendency, when using cream .mixtures, is to use too large a proportion of cream or too strong a cream for the allowance given. A baby can digest and assimilate satisfactorily a considerably larger amount of fat ‘if given in the fujm of the fat of human milk than if given cow’s milk fat; and a still larger proportion of the fatty element will be tolerated and dealt with satisfactorily by the infant if about 20 per cent, or more of the total is in the form of cod liver oil, associated with some vegetable oil, such as peanut oil. If a>j habv is given too much ‘cow’s milk butter’ tins retards digestion of all the food elements, is apt to disagree more or less, and usually causes more or less troublesome constipation, with unduly large, firm motions, which are found on examination to contain considerable quantities of undigested fat mixed with more or less crude casein. This is known as ‘fat constipation.’ “2. The fact that the constipation appears to have increased as the baby received less mother's milk and more of the cows’ milk mixture. Wherever there is any doubt as to the richnsgs in fat of the available cow’s milk, an overage sample should always be sent to a dairy factory analyst so as to as-

certain the uercentage of fat in the milk, and if* cream is used the percentage of fat in. the cream, or, better still jn the Humanised Milk as prepared and given to the child. \\ hereve: - there is a tendency to fat constipation it is better not to exceed —a pei cent of cow’s milk—the day’s allowance of fat and oil being made up to 3 or 3 -h ner cent, bv the addition of New Zealand Emulsion to ' the bottlefeedings, or by giving the emulsion separately’, mixed, say, with twice its volume ‘of boiled water immediotely before or after feeding. Average Fat Content of Humanised Milk Should be 3-j Per Cent. “The redoes given for feeding babies on the Plnnket system are based on the geneiral assumption that the cow’s milk used contains about 8£ per cent, of fat. Rich Shorthorn milk may contain anything from 4£ to 6 per cent. '“lf milk has to' he sent for testing it should he out into a scalded 2oz bottle, and 5 drops of forma’in should be shaken up with it.”