OUR BABIES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 13907, 7 November 1919, Page 2

OUR BABIES.

By Hygeia.

Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Womea and Children.

"It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom."

Last week we began the reprint of a series of articles which appeared in this column in 1910. It was our intention to continue the articles this week, but the following letter has just come to hand, and calls for an immediate reply. The introduction of the letter will not break the continuity of the articles, as what was said last week has a direct bearing on the subject. THE LETTER. I am writing to ask if you could -contradict in the valuable "Baby Column" published in the newspapers, a statement which.is being made by "The Opposition" here—namely, that babies fed on Humanised Milk.sooner or later develop anaemia, and that their gums should.be watched for signs of it. This statement has much upset at least two or three young mothers we know, and doubtless others of whom we have not heard. • Of course, the statement-has been contradicted in person by the Plunket nurse and by members of the Committee, but an article on the matter in the public press -would "carry more weight, and greatly

~,help to restore.the confidence and -.peace of mind of the mothers to whom I have referred. "Young ' mothers'so easily become panicky. . and the babies suffer in consequence. REPLY.. .Before entering into any explanation of the why and wherefore, we make the clear and definite statement that' the use of Humanised Milk, if it is properly prepared, carefully safeguarded, and regularly and intelligently administered.-could not cause anscmia or any other disease. Some fresh fruit juice" (such, as orange juice) or a small addition of good, fresh, indicated cow's milk (see pasre 2D "Feediusr and Care- of Baby") should ahvavs be given when Humanised Milk is used, in order to make sure that there is a, sufficiency of the vital elements essential for the best nutrition and growth. On farms where there is a. good'clean separator, and where there are facilities for keeping' milk cool and clean. Humanised Milk can be prepared without heatimr it, and we know of many babies' who, unfortunately deprived of their own mother's milk, have had ..the advantage of beinsr reared on un- " heated Humanised Milk. In jsuch cases it is, of course, unnecessary to <rive fresh fruit juice. MOTHER'S MILK BEST.

As some people still seem to believe that the chief function of the Plunket Society is to teach mothers 1 o feed their babies on Humanised .Milk, we here state most emphati-cally--ouee again that the main aim of the Society is— To uphold the sacredness of the * l.odv and tlie duty of health; td inculcate a lofty view of the responsibilities of 'maternity and the dutv of every mother to fit herself for " the' perfect ■ fulfilment of the natural calls of motherhood, both before and .after child-birth, and especially to advocate and promote the breast-feeding of infants. The true • Plunket baby is the breast-fed baby whose mother attends to all the hygienic needs of her offspring as set forth on pages lad 2 of the Society's Book. "Feeding and Care of Baby."' As was pointed out in last week s artiole, the mother who neglects the other essentials for health, even if she suckles her infant, will almost certainly have a pale, pasty baby showing serious evidences of poorness of blood or defective vitality. On the other hand, the mother who, having failed to give her baby its natural birthright, tries to make up for the failure by giving the best substitute for Mother's Milk (namely, Humanised Milk), and who also attends to all the hygienic needs of her infant, will generally have a flourishing baby, jirni, healthy, and rosv. '

Of course, if a baby fed on Humanised Milk were deprived of- all the other essentials for health, it, too. j would he -pale and pasty, and there would be no u:ood. rich blood eours- ; hi'_r throuo-li its veins, making it fresh j and rosy.' But the fact that ti niotherj has sought help with regard to the" feeding of h»r infant ieuds at the same time to make her follow the advice proffered .in other directions, and so the bain- is benefited. • HUMANISE])- MILK THE BEST SUBSTITUTE FOR MOTHER'S MILK. For each young niammal the Creator hi is designed a special milk, and the milk for each kind is different in composition- thus lioness's milk is best for baby lions, dog's milk is best for puppies, cow's milk for calves, and mother's milk for human babies.

Some years ago- when a. lioness died at the Zoo her cub could not be reared. Later someone hit on the idea, of "lionising" milk for baby lions when their mothers died, and thenceforth there was no further difficulty rearing the lions' cubs. Recently we met a lady who tried to rear a puppy on the bottle, but 'not knowing how to "dogiso"' the milk, the poor puppy died. It would be possible to "humanise" the milk of any mammal if we knew the composition of. it. but as cow's milk is the most readily obtainable it is generally used. Now cow's milk is made expressly for a calf, arid it must be modified to make it lit for a human baby —that is, to make it approximate a.s nearly nt» may be to the composition and digestibility of Mother's Milk-in fttct, to "humanise" it. For further information regarding this matter we refer our reader to the leaflet, "The Components of Various Milks." which can be obtained from the Plunket Nurses or the Secretaries of the Branches (price :!d). Remember that Mother's Milk is best for the Jiaby, and every mother should try to lit herself to be- a. real mother to her infant. Tl*, for any reason, (he Mother's Milk fails. Humanised Milk is i\\K' best substitute.

AVc can assure the yountr,' mothers referred to in the above letter, and all others who may have been worried by uiiv such stupid statements, that, provided they trive their babies in full measure all iho essentials for health, they mn.v confidently continue lo feed them on Humanised Milk, and fool that thev avo now doiun; the bcsl (hoy can for (heir ofl'sprintr. siK'itiff thev cannot provide I hem with Motlior'H Milk,