OUR BABIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22832, 17 March 1936, Page 12

OUR BABIES

By Htgeia,

Published under the auspices of th« Royal New Zealand Society for th» Health of Women and Children (Plimket Society). "It ia wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain am. ambulance at the bottom." UNNATURAL FEEDING. As the title of our subject implies, artificial food is an unnatural food, and it may be stated that the most perfect adaptation is of an inferior nature to an infant’s natural food produced in its mother’s breasts. “ BREAST FED IS BEST FED—SAFEGUARD THE ARTIFICIALLY FED.” If then for some unforeseen reason an infant must be bottle fed, it is only right that it should receive a substitute as nearly as possible adapted to the standard of mother’s milk. This is the principle on which Sir Truby King, the founder of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children, bases the artificial feeding of infants — the scientific study of the quality and quantity of mother’s milk. For an artificial food the best basis, from a nutritional point of view, is milk. Cows’ milk being most commonly available is most practicable for use. However, this docs not mean that the milk of some other mammal cannot be used; on the contrary, the milk of goats or the buffalo may be almost equally well adapted. As well as the study of and comparison of human and cows’ milk, there are certain other principles to consider as well. These points may be enumerated as follows 1 ; I.—A CLEAN MILK SUPPLY. The milk used must come from an unquestionably clean source, that is, a clean herd tested at frequent intervals. The milk must be protected from every likely source of contamination, from the milker’s hands to its delivery to the customer, and kept covered to prevent dust'or flies contaminating it, buckets, etc., must be covered, and the milk preferably delivered in scaled bottles. In addition, it is necessary that milk should be cooled to below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and kept at that temperature. Three important C’s cover these points— Clean, Cool, Covered. The same vigilant care must be given the milk after it is received in the home.

lI.—THE QUALITY OF THE MILK. Milk should be preferably from a mixed herd to ensure average quality. The milk from Jersey cows if of too rich cream content, and the type of fat is more difficult for the baby to digest. III—MODIFICATION TO THE HUMAN STANDARD.

Having ensured a milk of average quality, anff as far as possible free from harmful organisms, the next point to consider is the modification of the milk to the standard of mother’s milk. This is where the study of the two milks is of such vital importance. Nature has provided for the needs of each creature according to its output of energy and rate of growth, so wo find that the human mother’s milk has more of the energygiving quality, that is, sugar, than cows’ milk. The human infant having a more highly developed nervous system than , a calf has therefore a greater range of activities. Also being a smaller creature and having a slower rate of growth, only about onc-third of the amount of the food element necessary for growth is found in human milk in comparison with cows’ milk. Apart from the quantity of the growth element, the quality must be considered, and we find it to be of a much coarser and more indigestible nature in cows’ milk—suited to the calf, but not to the human infant.

Our first step is therefore to dilute the cows’ milk with water to break down the growth element to approximately the same amount as in human milk, and also to make the remaining amount more easy of digestion. The dilution of the milk for the purpose of reducing the curd will mean that the sugar and fat are also reduced in amount, and these must

be adjusted by the addition of a suitable sugar, such as Karilac, and the fat replaced by Kariol. The advantage ot using Karilac is that it contains rue natural sugar found in all milk, lactose, in combination with a very easily digested sugar, dextrose. This combination is ot great advantage to the young infant, who will readily deal with quite a high sugar percentage when given in this form. Karilac is made up in a series of numbers—1, 2, and 3. Number. lis used f ° r rh® very young infant; number 2 as the baby gets older; and number 3 when the baby is about three months of age and on a normal diet. Karilac also contains pure powdered gelatine in a small amount, which has the effect of softening the curd in the milk. Kariol is an emulsion of combined sugars and fats, finely blended, and the fats completely emulsified. It is moie easv of digestion than the fat of cows milk, and contains the essential vitamins to protect a baby against rickets. Lows milk is an unreliable source of these vitamins. . ~ Milk used in preparing humanised milk must always be brought to the scald o pasteurised immediately before making up the mixture. This destroys any gems that may have multiplied in the milk. After heating, milk must be rapidly cooled, and kept below 60 degrees FahrenFor very young babies, those digcstiyely upset, or those being given humanised milk for the first time, the milk should bo boiled from 10 to 20 minutes, according to age or whether upset, ihis has the effect of making the milk curd finer and more .digestible. The '. a PS of food given is in accordance with baby s size and condition, whether normal forage or underweight, the latter. ” ee .J a £ more food in comparison with size tnai the former. The quality will depend on the age of the baby and- its digestion; the young' baby and the digestively upset must have a weaker food to commence with, and the strength of the food care fully graded to full strength. A baby humanised milk for the first time must have it diluted at first, but may be graded on to the undiluted mixture more quickly than the very, young or upset infant. The two mixtures o humanised milk most generally used are the number 1 recipe, which is as tollows:—To make 250 z: Milk, 7ioz; whey, 8JoZ; Karilac, (1 level tablespoon), water, 9oz. The Kariol, given separately from * a small spoon or on the teat during the feed, commencing with a small amount is gradually increased. I'or a small infant from four to six weeks of age or one with poor digestion the foregoing recipe would be suitable. The number 3 recipe:— To provide 30oz: Milk, 13oz; Karilac, loz (2 level tablespoons); water, 17oz; Kamol, 6J level teaspoons. If carefully graded from a weaker mixture this recipe would suit most normal babies of three months of age. Being suited to most babies’ needs, it is the most commonly used recipe, ine method of preparation is very simple. In either instance of the above it is necessary for the mother to consult her Plunket nurse as to the method of c mmencing artificial food and the grading to full strength of the same. As the vitamin content of cows milk is not of the best to begin with, and is still further impaired by the necessary heating of milk in the preparation of the mixture, it is essential that every bottlefed baby should be given flesh, raw fruit or vegetable juice daily orange or carrot juice being most suitable (if cairot is used, double the allowance of orange juice must be given). The necessary of orange juice is one teaspoon at tlir months, three teaspoons at six months, and one tablespoon at nine months, always given in warm boiled water (not hot) between feeds once daily. The methods by which the baby is fed arc of equal importance to the food itself, and the following points should be b served: — Feed at regular hours, three|° r 1 hourlv intervals, according to the b o>, and the right feed. Use a suitable type of bottle—one easily and thoiouglily cleaned—a teat that will require active , suction, and permit the baby to obtain , his food in not less than 12 oi longer than 20 minutes. The bottle should be held while baby feeds, with slight tension, on the teat to encourage vigorous sucking throughout the feed. , The food is given at blood beat, 98 degrees Fahrenheit, and re-heatecl i necessary during the feed. The baby should be, placed in a comfortable posi- , lion, and kept quiet during the Iced, I

not excited by being talked to, etc. The baby should be held up to expel wind halfway through and after the feed. When the -feed is finished, the baby made comfortable and put down quietly without being handled, jogged, or excited.