OUR BABIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 21 January 1939, Page 11

OUR BABIES

THE HOLIDAY SEASON

BY HYGEIA) Uuuiiaiied under the au&pices oi the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society) “It is wiser to put up a fence at U»e top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.’ This month of January turns the thoughts oi many families to the annual holiday, and many travel to the seaside or , country or to stay with friends. To I toany mothers the journey entailed is a | period of worry and anxiety, and is lookj ed forward to with a good* deal of dread especially if it be a long train journey. , THE BABY In the case of a young baby a holiday should mako little or no difference to habits of sleep and feeding. As far as possible observe the routine carried out at home. Don’t keep the baby out all evening or awake at night to amuse his elders. A mother taking a baby to visit friends would do well to ascertain that these friends are in sympathy with, and will help to carry on, those habits which she has established at home, otherwise it is better to give up the holiday for the first year. FOOD If the infant is breast-fed there is no difficulty as to bis food, and there follows less luggage to take. The bottle-fed baby presents quite a I problem. His 24 hours’ supply of humanised milk should be freshly made as late as possible before starting on the journey. It is wisest when travelling to bring it 1 to the boil and then keep it at that temperature for 10 minutes. It is extremely difficult to keep milk cold enough to be safe for baby when travelling in hot weather. It is in lukewarm milk and imperfectly washed teats or bottles that germs multiply so rapidly. With proper care and precautions a thermos flask may he used. If the milk can be cooled well below 60deg Fahr. with ice or very cold water, it may be put into a clean, scalded, cold flask at that etmperature, and will keep quite safe if properly cooled. Another method is to pack bottles of cold milk into a box of clean sawdust, taking cure that the sawdust is well up to the neck of the bottles.

The alternate method of keeping the milk safely is to keep it hot. Germs do not grow or multiply in inilk whicli is kept well above 130 deg Fahr. For this method thoroughly wash and scald the flask, and pour into it the boiled humanised milk when just a little below boiling point. Keep the flask well corked, and when pouring out sufficient milk for each feed do so as quickly as possible and recork immediately to prevent the milk in the flask falling appreciably iu temperature. Naturally, if the milk cools to anywhere near blood heat the flask becomes a positive menace to health. The milk poured out for baby's feed can be cooled quickly to the right temperature and by this method he can have his bottle whenever due without any regard to stations where hot water may be obtained It is a good plan to have two or more bottles and teats, so that if it is difficult to wash them properly en route fresh ones can be used. A handy way to carry them is in a small tin box such as certain brands of tea or fancy biscuits are packed in. Wrap the bottle and teats in a piece of clean, boiled butter muslin or old linen and pack them* in the tin. A spoon and any other utensils may he put in this too, A measure marked in ounces or a small jug is necessary to transfer milk from flask to feeding bottle. This also must bo kept clean and covered. Note.—Never keep any milk which lias been left in the feeding bottle. If baby does not finish his feed throw away what is left and use fresh milk from the flask fo; the next feed Nothing is more dangerous than milk which lias been lying in the bottle from one feeding time till the next. If the journey will take more than 24 hours, and it is therefore necessary to obtain a fresh supply of humanised milk en route, consult the Plunket nurse in the town in which you live, She will write ahead to the nurse in the place where you will break your journey, giving bet the recipe of baby’s feed and arranging a suitable time and place for you to get. the made-up humanised milk for the next 24 hours. For this a small charge is made to cover the cost of material. Thus, when travelling, say, from Dunedin to Auckland, a liesh supply of milk may be obtained in Christchurch or Wellington by special arrangements beforehand. FOOD FUR THE OLDER CHILDREN Undoubtedly the little runabouts are the most difficult to cater for, but a little forethought will save much worry and trouble. Remember that a day on somewhat short rations will do no harm at all, w’hereas a day of unsuitable food (food from restaurants and odds and ends of cakes and sweets) may do untold harm. Pack a tin of nice twice-baked bread and oatcake (ready buttered if liked) and folded slices of brown bread and butter. Some sandwiches of cress, lettuce, or tomato and scrambled eggs make variety, and add to the nourishment of the meal, and a few dates or raisins (separately or in sandwiches) are excellent. Wit ha drink of milk and a raw apple to finish a perfectly nourishing, satisfying, and adjustable meal is provided for any young child. Bo much for the subject of food. Probably every mother will have her own suggestions to add to the foregoing, which, however, have been proved thoroughly workable in actual practice.

THOUGHTS AND DEEDS Say not, “It matters not what men may think, But 'tis the deed avails.” As flower to seed. Is deed to thought; and as the seed foretells Hemlock or rose, thoughts tell the coming deed—Thomas Curtis Clark.