OUR BABIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23223, 22 June 1937, Page 16

OUR BABIES

By Htgeia,

Published under ths auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for Hit Health of Women and Children (I’lunkei Society). «It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom,” THE DULL DAYS (Continued.) Last week we discussed the question of comfort and colour in connection with children in winter time, i'tiis week let us go on to consider the question of diet, with_ special reference to cold weather conditions. Healthy, active children tend to oe well and hungry in cold weather, and should be able to take with advantage rather more food, and especially rather more fat, in the diet than is necessary or good in hot weather, One reason for this is that fat produces heat, but the more important reason is that certain fats and the principal sources of two of the vitamins _so necessary—especially for the growing children. VITAMIN .. D » One of these, vitamin D, is produced by some of the properties of sunlight acting on our bodies, either directly by shining on the skin or indirectly through the food we eat. Naturally, when direct sunlight is at a minimum during short winter days an additional supply of the sunlight factor in food is required, because, as some people know nowadays, insufficiency of this factor predisposes a child to rickets, decay of the teeth, and other conditions of ill-health. VITAMIN “A” But that is not all. There is another vitamin known as A which is a very important factor in the diet of children, especially during winter. Vitamin A is concerned with resistance to infection, and deficiency of this factor in the food causes increased susceptibility to all sorts of infections, including colds and chest troubles. Therefore it is advisable to supplement the diet in winter with food or foods especially rich in both vitamins A and D. Butter, cream, and eggs contain both, but are apt to be poor in these factors in winter- —just when they are wanted most. Also, one cannot increase the allowance of these foods beyond a certain point without causing mdigestlon’ COD LIVER OIL

Cod liver oil is our “ royal standby ” in this connection. It is an extremely rich and reliable source of both vitamins A and D. , ■ Strange as it seems, green plants aie the primary source of the vitamins, even in cod liver oil. In the springtime there is a great growth m the seas of minute green vegetation, m which is concentrated the wonderful properties of the sun’s rays. The plants form the food of tiny floating animals, which in turn are eaten by small fish, and these again by larger fish, .such as the cod. The vitamin from the green plants is transferred from the smaller to the larger fish in the process of digcstiim and finally becomes concentrated in the liver of the cod. Therefore cod liver oil contains the vitamin collected and concentrated from an enormous quantity of green plants. Not without reason has it been described as “ bottled sunshine.” However pure, cod liver oil as such is unpalatable, and though some children take it well in this form, it is best given in the form of an emulsion, which should be finely homogenised so as to place no lax- on the digestive organs. . Many of our mothers have been in the habit of giving Blanket Emulsion (which is specially prepared for baby feeding) to the older children. Ihcre is no objection to this; but in older to meet the needs of older children in the direction indicated, and to place within the reach of mothers at a strictly moderate price an entirely reliable food product having the special qualities required the Kantane Products Society prepares a special emulsion for older children. It consists of specially selected fats and oils and a certain proportion of malt extract and eilhei sugars. The fats are mostly cod livei oil and bone-marrow. The latter has some nutrition-promoting qualities which makes it a highly desirable complement to the cod liver oil the emulsion is very finely homogenised: in fact, the fal particles arc not more than a hundredth part of the size of the fat particles in cow's milk FOOD. NOT MEDICINE It must be clearly understood that we recommend lliis emulsion definitely simplv and solely as a food to supplement the ordinary diet of the child, particularly in winter .id eaily spiing, and not in' any way or at any time as a medicine. We have nothing to do with the advocacy of drugs or medicines. Our province is the promotion of good nutrition and growth by natural, simple means. It must not be thought, however that the giving of a few tcaspoonsful of cod liver oil ci. flsion every day will make up for all or any radical errors nr deficiencies in the child’s ordinary diet. It certainly will not do anything of the kind. Good wholesome meals, including daily some brown bread (wholemeal) milk, butter vegetables, and fruit (raw and cooked), with eggs and f -h in moderation—these

are the basic requirements. Cod liver oil in whatever form it is given is valuable to supplement such a diet, m certain directions; but it cannot take the place of any of the basic mgrediCn \Ve will conclude this article next week by giving some suggestions for the planning of actual meals, the suggestions being based on practical experience with children.