OUR BABIES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 29 January 1927, Page 17

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygeia.)

.Published under the siuspic.es ol the Koval New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Piunket. Society). DIARRHOEA. We have already mentioned some or the simple measures effective in the prevention of diarrhoea. This veek we give some further “guiding lines, It is impossible to give definite rules which wili apply to every case. Imagination and common sense are neeessarv in this, as in everything in life. Consult the Piunket Nurse it one is within reach, or write to hei. Weaning. If possible do not wean baby during February or March, especially if the weather is very hot. If weaning cannot bo avoided it should be done gradually, with great care in the preparation and diluting of the artificial food, which should be humanised milk, made and graded according to the directions in “Feeding and Care of Baby” or the instructions of the Piunket Nurse. Even one breast feed a day during the hottest weather is better than none, delaying complete weaning until cooler days come. Indigestion. Indigestion, due to overfeeding or to unsuitable food or irregular feeding, is the main predisposing cause of diarrhoea.; therefore mothers should be eternally vigilant, especially during summer. They should be perfectly regular, and should’ give l the childien nothing unsuitable or likely _to disagree. ’ Unfortunately, it is just during the summer holiday months—the warmest time of the year—that the feeding of both babies and older children tends to become irregular and unsuitable. When travelling or away from home the usual routine is broken, often with disastrous results. Many a child makes no progress during January or February for this reason. The disordered digestion and lowered resistance leave him easy prey to any infection —ripe for an attack of diarrhoea. He may not die, he may completely recover, but at least his progress will he checked, perhaps for months, and there is prove risk of lifelong damage. gome hints on food for children when travelling were given in these columns a. few weeks ago. When away from home make every effort to secure good pure milk. Always boil it before use for the first few days, and Continue to do so if there is any cloubt as to the freshness of the supply. Spare no pains to keep all feeding utensils scrupulously clean. For the older children, beware of “pieces” of unsuitable food —cakes, sweets, bananas, and other unripe or overripe fruit, etc. Treatment of Threatened Attack. If a motion appears green when passed, the mother should be on her guard at once, and should observe carefully the next motion. Sometimes a motion becomes green oi- greenish after being exposed to the air for a time—this is of no consequence. Sometimes the motions are slightly greenish when passed, or partly greenish, but on rubbing with a corner of the napkin it is found that it is mostly quite yellow. If there is also some partially undigested- food in the motion, this is a sign that the baby’s digestion is being overtaxed in some way. The food should be diluted for a few feeds, and worked up to full strength again gradually, or otherwise adjusted by the advice of the Piunket Nurse. These slightly greenish stools do not necessarily mean that an attack of diarrhoea, is threatened, but they should always put the mother on her guard, for, as we have explained, indigestion is the main predisposing cause of diarrhoea. If a second green motion is passed, especially if it is relaxed, and is passed within a short time of the first, the mother should proceed as follows, whether baby is breast-fed or bottle-fed :

1. Give a.dose of castor oil—one or two teaspoonfuls, according to age. The average need is an ordinary teaspoonful (not a small afternoon teaspoonful), but a very small or delicate baby may need less. 2. Give boiled water only for the next two or three feedings at least. (See “The Expectant Mother and Baby’s First Month.”) If the. green and frequent motions still _ persist, and baby appears to be getting worse, continue to give boiled water only, and call in a doctor. If the motions are improving after the oil and water for two or three' feedings, and baby does not appear ill, proceed as follows: 1. In the case of a Breast-fed Baby: Give a few ounces of boiled water immediately before nursing, and allow baby to suckle for a few minutes only. At the next feeding give rather less water and a slightly longer period at the breast, and so on. the amount of water being cautiously reduced at each feeding and the' suckling prolonged accordingly. It may be necessary to take several days or even a week or. more to get back to full normal feedings. 2. In the case of a Bottle-fed Bahv: Fither proceed according to the instructions on pp. 32 and 108-jof> ‘Feeding and Care of Baby” ; or discontinue humanised milk for a few dnvs. giving instead a mixture of skimmed milk which has been boiled for 10 minutes and diluted wit.! .water. At the first feeding after the period on hniled water onlv. give one partboiled skim milk to'four parts boiled water.

At the next two feedings give two boiled skim milk to three parts hoiled water. At the next two or three feedings give three 'parts liolied skim milk to two parts hoiled water.

If all is now going well, there being no further green or frequent motions, undiluted humanised milk, boiled for five minutes, may be introduced into the skim milk and water mixture, until in the course of a few days or a week or more (according to progress) the 1 1 abv may be taking only boiled humanised milk. The time of boiling may then be reduced by a minute or two a day, until the mixture is merely scalded or pasteurised in the usual wav.

Fat. whether in the form of top milk or Now Zealand emulsion, is not well taken in cases of diarrhoea, and if given too soon or in too great quantitv. after even a slight attack, may cause further trouble. Always reduce the fat in baby’s food after an attack of diarrhoea by reducing or discontinuing the time of setting for top milk, "or by discontinuing the _ emulsion temporarily if the baby is on

humanised milk No. 111. Work up the time, of setting again gradually, or reintroduct the emulsion by giving first one teaspoonful in the 24 hours and increasing the amount by about half a teaspoonful a- day until full strength is reached, daeing guided in each case by the motions and baby’s condition. In severe cases of diarrhoea it may be necessary to cut off fat almost completely from the baby’s food for a considerable time, giving the boiled skim milk and water mixture (in the proportion of 4oz or soz of skim milk to loz of • water) for a longer period before introducing anv humanised milk. Discontinue fruit juice during the first week, but if all goes well reintroduce it very gradually as soon as the motions have been normal for a few days. Though quicker progress than that suggested may be made, it is- always safer to err on the side of “going slow” than to advance too quickly and bring on a relapse. A competent nurse can usually advance more quickly than the mother, becatise she knows more about the symptoms and evidences which point to mere imnvoveineiit on the one hand or to Drastically complete recovery on the other. Older Children. Treat threatened diarrhoea in the same way —that is, give an adequate do=e of castor oil and nothing hut boiled water for two or three meal times. Then give hoiled milk diluted with rice water. Work gradually back to full diet by means of simple, easily digested food.