OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3251, 5 July 1916, Page 70

OUR BABIES.

By IHgeia

Published under the auspices el tlio Royal New Zealand Society lor the Health c) Women and Children. "It 13 wist-r to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to njaiutatn aa ambulance at the bottom." A MOTHER'S LETTER. Some lime ago a mother wrote to us with reference to the relaxed condition of her baby's bowels. The infant was entirely breast-fed at that time. A few months later, alter the baby was weaned, the following letter was received : About a fortnight after weaning constipation set in. 1 gave orange juice, but not enough. Then I tried the milk weaker, but I'm afraid the child did not receive enough nourishment. It; was not for two months that I began to give more orange juice. My child seems to require even more than is recommended for a child a year old. If I neglect to give him his lull quantity twice a day ho at once has large clayey motions, which often he can't pass without help. Nearly always there is blood too. Of course, I must bo very careful not to neglect him. I think that if you ooidd see the way I treat him as regards fresh air, etc.. you would bo satisfied. He has gained lOglb in his first nine months, but does not look fat enough. I am hoping that ho will look more lobust in a short time now that I have found the way to keep his bowels right. REPLY. I am glad you have succeeded in regulating baby's bowels. You must, however, bear in mind that the most important point- 7 in the use of fresh, uncooked fruit juice is not its laxative properties, although its daily use is helpful in checking any tendency to constipation. In all cases of ARTIFICIAL FEEDING A LITTLE FRESH FRUIT JUICE SHOULD BE GIVEN DAILY, AFTER THE FIRST MONTHS, TO COMPENSATE FOR THE SOMETHING THAT MAY BE WANTING IN ANY prepared food. (See page 40, ''Feeding and Care of Baby.") Where a mother is feeding her baby partly on the breast and partly on tho bottle, the necessary vital element is provided in the mother's milk; hence every drop of mother's milk is precious, and efforts should* be made to continue even partial breast-feeding until the baby is nine months old. In cases of mixed feeding (part breast and part bottle) the use of fresh fruit juice is not necessary; but, of course, it may bo given, especially if there is a tendency to constipation. Weak .Food Tends to Cause Constipation. It was a mistake to weaken the food with the idea of curing the constipation. If you look at the Society's book, page 111, you will find the following: Normal mother's milk, containing as it does abundance of fat from the. beginning, has no constipating tendency; but during the first few weeks of life babies cannot digest a full supply of any other form of fat. Even with Humanised "Milk we cannot give enough fat at this period to ensure regularity of the bowels in every case. Artificially-fed babies generally: suffer more or less from constipation during the first month, but this tends to disappear as the food is made stronger. Hence, if you make the food weak, besides depriving the baby of its proper amount of nourishment, you tend to cause constipation, not to cure it. Clayeyncss of the motions is ggnerally an indication that the function of tho liver, from some cause or another, is not being satisfactorily carried out. The beneficial effect of fresh fruit juice is evidently beyond question in the case of your baby. Sometimes a special form of sugar, especially Malt Sugar (as contained in Malt Extract) improves matters if it is used as a partial substitute for Sugar of Milk, or as replacing any Cane Sugar -that may have been used. Blood in the Motions. You mention blood in the. motions, but give no details. The appearance of blood should always receive immediate attention. In all probability, if you look carefully, you will find that the motions are streaked lengthwise as regards what is passed. Tho common cause of this is a tiny fissure, or' what you might call a "chap" or a linear ulcer situated just inside the ring which opens out into tho bowel. A fissure is liable to be extremely painful when any effort is to pass a motion. Tho harder the motion the greater the pain in these cases. The child tends instinctively to shrink from any action of the bowels, and on this account very obstinate constipation is apt to be set up, which again reacts unfavourably on the sore. A tiny 'fissure often remains unsuspected for a long time. It is generally situated at tho back of the anus, and naturally it is the; back surface of tho motion which is streaked in such cases. An important measure in treatment is the establismhment of soft, easily-passed regular motions: but in many cases this cannot be brought about without getting a surgeon to examine and treat the fissured and ulcerated surface. You do rot mention about pain or anything as to the position or appearance of the blood; but in any I should advise you to consult a doctor without delay, as lie would probably be able to get yon on the right track at once. A sore such as I have described is capable of upsetting the whole of an infant's system, and it is quite possible that all your troubles will disappear when you have had this matter attended to. A Later Letter. Later the mother wrote again, saying that, on closer examination, she distinctly saw tho little streak of blood on the back surface of the motion, clearly showing that there was a fissure at the hack of the anus, as we suggested. The child had been attended to, and was doing well. Tho above case shows the value of careful observation, especially when there seems to be any departure from the normal. As other mothers may be confronted with similar troubles, we think the publication of the leller and the reply may be generally interesting and helpful.