OUR BABIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14156, 7 March 1908, Page 2

OUR BABIES.

Br HtoSia,

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

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT.

"Anxious Mother," Noith Island, 'writes: "I am writing 1» ask you if you would be so kind as to write mo a few instructions as to the proper feeding of my little son (just on» year old exactly). He is my only child, and so I have no former experience to direct/ me. I have read the paper a (rood deal, cue', have seen what a great amount you have done in instructing the public as to the proper nurture of infants. ■ "My child is apparently very healthy, never having any sickness. I nursed hira till abour, nino months, when the milk went I then gave him —'s patent food, which I have given him for the past three months. It is now that I arn rather perplexed, as people tell me this is not now enough, and to give potatoes, porridge, bread and milk, and in fact suoh a numerous variety that I am afraid I may regret not being a lifctlo moro enlightoned. We buv (he cows' milk to make the food with but it is neither very rich nor particularly good. I occasionally add one tcaspoonfuk of lime water.

"My child is not.fat, and is, I think, a, little inclined to look pale, though ho' is very intelligent and active, and I am so anxious to do my utmost to see him develop into a bonnie boy."

Answer. _ Your baby owes you everything for the infinite advantage of being suckled and not fed artificially up to nine months of age. This has laid a sound foundation for life, and I, quite sympathise with your desire to do nothing that will in any, way mar the good start, he has had. In selecting 's patent foods for use afterwards you choso about the .best of the ready-made patent foods, but none of these foods are as good as,,what you could prepare yourself from fresh materials at only a small fraction of the cost, No one can restore to dried milks the liviner properties of fresh cows', milk, and -—'s patent food is not nearly'so good as fresh cow's milk and newly-prepared jelly made from cereals such as oats or wheat. : —'s patent food is simply a mixture of wheat flour and malt. When given with a proper quantity of milk this is a good form of food for a baby a year old, and you can continue it if you prefer sUoli a preparation to oat or wheat jelly. However, I should prefer either, of the latter, and would recommend you to ohango gradually in the course of, 6ay, 10 days to the line of feeding laid down in "the enclosed sheet. (See "Feeding after Nine Months," "Feeding Twelve to Fifteen Months," etc.)

Humanized milk No. II is extremely easy to prepare, and nothing can bo simplor or more satisfactory' than the' cereal jellies. As you are now using a preparation of malted wheat, it would be best to start by making your jelly with, say, three parts wheulen flour (preferably whole meal) and ono part oatmeal. In the course of a week rou could use equal parts, and continue with this for a few weeks; then, as the •joldcr weather approached, puro oatmeal would be deoidedly preferable,"' as it contains more fat, etc. You might find a tendency to constipation result from the faot of leaving off malt.' This tendency eould.be met in two ways.

In the first place, every> baby affor nine months of age ouglht to be given the juice of some fresh fruit daily if possible. The main' benefit of this is that it improves the condition of' the ' blood, ■ prompting healthy normal growth, and checking a tendency which exists to certain forms of malnutrition where only cooked food is uscd._ The second benefit is in promoting activity of the bowels. Fresh orange juice is best, but the juice of apples, pineapples, nr almost any perfeotly sound/' fresh, ripe fruit may be used. If there should be a tendency to constipation in spite of the, use of fruit juice you should pay special'attention to the matters, mentioned under tho heading "Constipation." . If necessary a teaspoonful of the best malt extract mdy be given on, waking in tho,morning; but I do not think yOu will find this necessary. All fluid foodß, such as malt extract, should be kept with the greatest care in a cool, open-air safe, and covered from dust and falling particles, as they are. otherwise liable to ferment.

It-is important, as you will see, to devote oa.refuT attention to teaching the baby to nibble and" masticate email quantities (gradually'increasing) pf crisp biscuit-like toast, and bread which is neither now nor too stale.. Tho masticating and, insalivating of dry food is very important, and nothing is more beneficial than careful training in this habit. On the other hand, it is very unwise to commence giving a yearold baby potatoes, porridge/ etc., as your friends suggest. Of courso many children flourish in.spite of such food, just as adults may continuo apparently well though they take a number of things which they ought not to, and which generally cause more or less indigestion and trouble sooner or later. I am quite certain that children do beet and lay the surest foundations for the future if' fed in the simple, natural way I have indicated, arid not made victims to the careless;and indulgent treatment usually practised. Nothing is more unfair to the child than, our yielding-as adults to the temptation, which'we all feel to treat a child as if it were a monkey in a cage, and unthinkingly give it scraps at any time of the day-Vespeoially cakes, sweets, and other things it ought, not to Wo ought surely to consider the. child's ultimate welfare, and not our own immediate gratification or even the momentary whim of the child. Babite who are regularly and properly fed are most contented, and have better appetites and enjoy their food far more than those who are injudiciously humoured" and pampered. There is no .organ of tho body which derives more benefit from proper rogular. periods of uninterrupted work and rest' than the stomaoh, ajid no organ which is 60 often abused intheso respects. The foundations of irregular habits and indigestion to which so many adults are martyrs are often laid in infancy. ..,-.'. You will realise from reading the society's sheet of instructions that fresh sunshine and exercise are indispensable, and almost as important as good food. I shall bo very glad to hear how you are getting on in the courso of a month, and shall expect you to lot mo know if there is any matter on which you would like advice.'

If you feel that you would care to join the Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children we shall be very glad to have you as a member, and hope that you will use your influence locally in helping the work the society has undertaken. The subscription is ss. I enolose a book of rules.

Wo hope that readers.of the column will tako the last paragraph as applying to themselves also, as tho society wants as large a membership as possible. The hon. secretary (Mrs Carew, 8 Horiot row, Dunedin) will l:o glad to receive names and subscriptions..

'.Practical instruction in matters bearing; on the rearing of babies and care of. young children was'"give'n at the Karitana fifomd' for Babies,; Anderson's Bay, by Dr Truby' King, the matron, and Nurse M'Kinnon on Thursday, sth March, and will bifoontinued on theiiwo smjeeeding Thursdays, Instruction Will commence punctually at 3 p.m. It is' intended to' mako' this series of three lectures and demonstrations cover the field indicated in a. simple and practical way by taking up a different position of the ground each time. ' ,

The first half-hour will be devoted to a lecture illustrated." by' optical lantern and apparatus; an hour will be given to practical work, including the preparation of baby foods, feeding, and instructions as to materials, clothing, bathing, ventilating, warming, and, in- general, what to do and what not to do with a view to the welfare of tho baby. The last half-houT each day will be taken up in answering questions.