OUR BABIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23703, 10 January 1939, Page 2

OUR BABIES

By Hygela Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and children (Ptunket Society) "It is wisei to pul up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.” THE HOLIDAY SEASON

This month of January turns the thoughts of many families to the annual holiday, and many travel to the seaside or country or to stay with friends. To many mothers the journey entailed is a period of worry and anxiety, and is looked 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 make little or no difference to habits of sleep and feeding. As far as possible observe the routine carried out at home. Don’t keep 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 her carryon, 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 his food, and there follows less luggage to take.

The bottle-fed baby presents quite a 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 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 be 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 temperature, and will keep quite if properly cooled. Another method is to pack bottles of cold milk into a box of clean sawdust, taking care 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 m milk which 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 nculk in the flask falling appreciably m temperature. Naturally, if the nmk cools to anywhere near blood heat tne 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 be 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 be kept clean and covered.

Note.—Never keep any milk which has been left in the feeding bottle. If baby docs not finish his feed throw away what is left and use fresh milk from the flask for the next feed. Nothing is more dangerous than mi k Which" has been lying in the bottle from one feeding time till the next. If the journey will take moi’e than /a hours, and it is therefore necessary to obtain a fresh supply of humanised milk eh 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 her the recipe of baby’s food 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 fresh supply of milk may be obtained in Christchurch or Wellington by special arrangements beforehand.

FOOD FOR 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. whereas 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 (separatelv or in sandwiches' are excellent. With a drink of milk and a raw apple to finish a perfectly nourishing, satisfying, and adjustable meal is provided for any young child.

So 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 Next week we will deal with olher practical suggestions for travelling with children.