OUR BABIES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1219, 3 June 1919, Page 2

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygeia) THE .MOTHKH'K LETTER. We seemed »n ottr last article to have wandered somewhat from the mother's letter wr were answering. We shall now turn In it again. gt'KSTIftX 11. "Is there any objection to the um «>f s»r* ordinarv medicine bottle, trith « teat, lor a "feeder? The Allenbury buttle ami other similar styles hare une great disadvantage—the plug has art annoying little way of popptng out at uneX|>cctcd moment.'*. e..;«Hi»|lv when one has a good i'rmi on. 1 have seen infant* fed from ordinary dottles*. such as I describe, and they do not appear to Have suffered any ill effect*." REPLY.

A- vom will see from the extract I shall give you from the Society's book, we do not recommend the use of the i E>«>ttt-!>har*d feeder. The objection yon raise 5* not mentioned, although it is I a real inconvenience. I can remember j rnv utrti first experience of it when I ! frifind that a baby had apparently \ finished its feeding with inconceivable raptditv. whereat the milk had really ' drained away through the plug "pop- ■ pioss"* out. The simpler the dottle the better, . hut the medicine dottle is not simple, and is one of the most difficult form* I 6m cleanse owing to the angles at the bottom and the shoulder, in this respeet. Ihe old soda-water liottle, which mothers sometime* usod as a feeder. was much Mter. However, there is no trouMe now in getting bottles of a much better form than either the madirtrte or the soda-water battle. The Iwst type is a cylindrical Iwttle, rounded at the bottom, but .slightly flattened outs'de, so that it will stand r.p, and gentlv curved at the shoulder into a broadish neck, readily admitting the passage of a brush. By the way. the brush sold for cleaning !>«»l»ies* bottles is generally too soft and meagre*—a stouter, more serviceable doMle-hriish i» letter adapted for r»pid scouring. Whatever kind of Inrush is Used, it should be kept scrupulously clean, and should lie used for no other purpose. It should lie thoroughly scalded at least twice daily, and should I*' hung up in a clean, airy place when not I>esng listed, instead of H-cErvi left lying on its side. If the niwllier ean do without a brush, so much the better. There is n»« difficulty in keeping a feedingbuttle clean if the mother washes, it first with cold water and then with warm water and soda immediately after use— which should be the invariable rule. A simple evidence of imperfect cleansing is the giving off •! an offensive burnt-hair smell, and slight brownish discolouration on strongly heating the bottle in the oven. If the bottle does not become perfectly clear on simple washing, a few fragments of clean raw potato, raw turnip, or any s.teh substance can be shaken up with the water in the little. This will remove any cloudiness which is not firmly and toughly attached, and which is not fudged in a crevice or corner such as one would have in a medicine bottle. The following article on "Feeding Hot ties" is extracted from the Society's hook "Feeding and care of the Baby." fn the hook the "feeders*' are illustrated, and the most important advantages and disadvantages arc pointed out pictovially:—

rKKDINfMUTTTLKS. The feeding-bottle needs as serious ei.->n*tdcration and attention as the milk itself. The o* of improper forms of •'HeiferV* ami carelessness as to proper forms ,4 rleansing are main sources of poisoning l»y microbes. This is a forge factor in the high death-rate of ehfldr<"n tinder one year of age, and is a leading cause of indigestion and summer diarrhoea. Every part of the feeding-bottle must lie capable of easy sterilisation- It must have no corners tie angles, and must have no letters stomped on it causing projections inside. The simpler the form of bottle the l>« tter. The neck must he sufficiently wide to permit of easy scouring—preferably without the use of a brush. There must lie no tube or screw to harbour dirt or perms. The use of tube feeding-bottles in France is illegal and in some other parts of Europe, and in many of the American States. The "long-tube feeder" is a dangerous and hit It v abomination which ought to tic f nndemmed everywhere. It is practically impossible to keep on jndiarubber tube in a state fit for use—it becomes a sewer lined with microbes. Further, a baby gets no proper exercise with a tube-feeder f there is nothing to tug at), and the teat tends to cause deformity of the palate, nose and jaws, bad teeth and adenoids The nipple is the only part of a feeder where indiarubber is. permissible, and it should lie so formed that it may be readily turned inside out lor rleansing. The "Hygeia Feeder" best fulfils ull requirements. Mere, instead of a bottle, an open glass jar is used. This jar is covered l»v an indiarubher cap shaped lib*- the human breast. There m no trouble whatever in keeping the vessel perlec ttly clean without the use of a brush. Further, the process of sneking from this feeder closely rcaemhW*. natural stickling. Tlte baby will U found to nuxxle into the artificial F>reast, thus helping to press out the nnlk. He also takes* portions of this "breast" between his lips, just as he would do with the mother's breast. He does not runfiiie himself tothe nipple, as is necessarily the ease with ordinary teats, and the" wide action of mouth and jaw?, provides a letter form of ex- j rrrise, resulting in improved blood siipplv to all adjacent parts. Thus it is that "natural suckling, or the nearest approach to it. tends to ensue better development of the teeth and jaws land muscles acting on them), better tongue, palate, nose etc.. and immunity from sore throat and adenoids—these affections lieing mainly expressions of inaetivitv. deficient hjood supply, an-J itttpnind nutrition of the part*.