OUR BABIES,

Otago Witness, Issue 2855, 2 December 1908, Page 66

OUR BABIES,

3t Hygi;ia. Ii is -caser *o pu: up ~ Tence &i the lop of * precipice than to main* t»in an ambulance zt ilie bottom. WEANESTG "BABIES WHO HAVE BEEN WHOLLY BREAST-FED. (Continued.) Infants differ much in their digestive powers that no hard and fact rules can he -laid down- for the course of feeding during weaning. Even in the case of babies w'-.o appear to be in ordinary health, conic can assimilate stronger food \Vh2n only fiveweeks old than others can at five mon-ths. We slate the average requirement, leaving it to the mother or nurse to decide whether i in any particular instance it would be better to advance more slowly. There ' should never be any necessity to strengthen j the food more quickly than wa show below. ►In the case of a decidedly delicate baby, the best plan is to regard it as a month or so youpger than~ its actual age, and lo feed 'accordingly. Occasionally one comes across a baby so delicate that the best way to ' start artificial feeding is to give only whey : for a few days, and in rare instances even I this may need some diluting with sugar solution. The whey should be properly ! prepared from new milk heated to 155dcg Jb\, as 6ho-.vn in s the Society's pamphlet. ORDINARY ROUTINE. CLASS I. Weakikg at Oxe Month. Begin with one feeding a day of a mixture mat*.-? up of one part of humanised milk lo two parts of ''sugar of milk rolutlon" (see the Society's pamphlet "Feeding and I Care of th? Baby"). Redure the prc portion I of sugar solution day by day, and increase I the humanised milk, until on the fourth day i equal qnantifcies are given. Three days later give two of humanised milk to one of 6ugaisolution. At the end of another week (that is, at a forrnispht from the start) the srength can have been gradually brcught up 10 thre-3 of humanised milk to om- of eugar solution. Sonic babk's do best if kept on this for a f3-.vf 3-.v weok-5, but others can fully digest pur> humanised milk in kss than fhreo wco'cs from the time of giving t'>c first bofle Changing food and mannor of fee- 1 ing is always a .question of feeling one's way. If at any point in the course of weaning the baby's digestion seenr? to ba overtaxed, *he best plan is 'to go back a ' stage and then to cautiously grade up again j ■ from the diluted food. It ie a mistake to I unduly huriy maitoi-3. but on the oihor hand the sooner a, baby can be worked up | to taking- humank-sd milk pure, or only \ slightly diluted with sugar solution, the ' hotter — provided alwevs that the digestion ! i-s not overtaxed, which would be shown ' ! by tho habitual nresor-ee of undigested card :in tae stcols, etc. I»?ik ember that conic j babies who have very feeble digestion may do .best if started with simple whey mudo from new milk — see previous paragraph. j CLASS H. Weaxiss atFeom Two to Thr2*s Moxths. Bsgin with one feeding a day of three part-3 of sugar- of milk solution to two of humanised milk. In three days the baby ; j CSII hs taking eqiiil pans, and at tfte end I I of a week two parrs of Immunised milk to I one of sugar solution. At 10 days from the ] ; s.art the baby maj have three of humanised ' i milk to one cf sugar solution. This can j be continued unchanged for another week, cr, if digestion i% gcod, the sugar eolation may be straightway lessened day by day. The average two or three-month-,- j old breast-fed baby is able to take pure \ humanised milk at thp end cf two or three weeks from the time of stariing artificial feeding ; but in some case* the infant thrives betler if k?pt for some time lor.^iT on cue of sugar solution to three of humanised milk. Where the digestive power is siill weak*v wo r.:ay 'iced to tivat the baby as belonging 10. Class 1 (sec abo\c). CLASS 111. Weaxisg at Fhoh Four, to Nine Months. Commence with equal part-s of humnni.-e<l milk and sugar solution. Continue t'm for throe days. At a wok or 10 day, from the start the baby should L_> grainy thieo cf humanised milk t« ono o1o 1 &vi?a r caution. This can be continued uncbang^J for a. v. eel*, or the *ugar solution may bo strairj.uv.-ay lessen «>l day by flaj. Tiio a»er«iije t=ix-ironth«-okl brcast-f* d baby nuy i bo g-!\en pure humanioed milk about a i foitnighl after starting artificial feeding. j Other-, who arc inoro <iclicate should be 1 pi~_-cd in Cld^> 11, whjli! t-oins may nce-d !c -.Jr: in CI.J-S I -~v jUv:-). CLASS IV. i I WtiMxi Aft/? "Vjx:-: Moxths. ' <"V»i:!i!'«-;]j<» with equal i;uantlti< >: : of I Ii; ,i-p;-cJ ;n;!k ..rd s>-^ar "oHilcn. a*H 1.1 j ;i: c ""! ' <..' ■" .' cv YOIL up t'j th.-" 01 ii'"niru-ou ii«il!: ;.i .vie <f <-u'-.t ohitjoii. 'lh. 'i comti.-nii- ai\l.-ig a le\cl teat-jAX^n-iull of </ai jc'.y rt'r SV 1 d imjt. At th(> n.i of a fortnight the foo<l used should Lg &b§ pure iiioaaai&tU milk. By tia© time

T the baby is 10 months old the feedings should have been worked ap to the standard recommended in the Society's pamphlet, and thenceforth the scheme there shown should be followed. On receipt of 3d in stamps the pamphlet wil! be posted to any address by the hon. secretary, Mrs Carew, 8 Heriot row, Dunedin. 1 Focd graded for weaning in accordance with the above advice will be sent out ready prepared in Dunedin by the Taieri and Peninsula Dairy Company if desired, the charge bejng the ssme as for ordinary humanised milk. Remember that the whole of what 15 said above refers to the brea6t-fsd baby. Later I shall describe how to change from varij ous forms of artificial feeding to the use of humanised milk.-