PAGE for WOMEN OUR BABIES

Southland Times, Issue 22997, 17 September 1936, Page 15

PAGE for WOMEN

OUR BABIES

Wise Motherhood

(By

HYGEIA.)

Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for th# Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society.) In the following articles we hope to make clear for mothers some points regarding the introduction of mixed feeding, which, in spite of their simplicity, often puzzle or present difficulties. In introducing cereal foods, plain, coarse oatmeal, well cooked and strained, is the best and most nutritious, and should be regarded as the staple cereal. Do not resort to patent groats or highly refined porridges unless it is really impossible, not merely inconvenient, to cook coarse oatmeal properly. If oatmeal porridge is used for the family breakfast, so much the better. All you have to do in that case is to make sure that baby’s has at least an hour’s cooking, and then press it through a wire seive. The jelly should be fairly stiff, so that when milk is added it does not mix in and make the jelly semi-liquid. One of the objects in giving it is to teach the baby the “feel” of solid food, and, of course, you defeat this purpose if the jelly is thin and milky. Strain enough for one or two meals and warm up as required. Barley jelly made from patent barley may be used for the first few meals of cereal food, as it is rather more easily digested than oat jelly. Afterwards it may be given for occasional variety, or if baby’s motions tend to be relaxed for any reason. If the motions are decidedly relaxed, rice jelly may be used for a time, this being slightly constipating. On the other hand, if baby is inclined to be constipated, give oat jelly in preference to any other, as it tends to be a little relaxing. Whole wheatmeal may be used in the same way as oatmeal from time to time for variety. In commencing to give the cereal jelly, start with a tablespoonful of oat jelly with one or two teaspoonfuls of scalded milk around it (no sugar is required). It is usually convenient to start this innovation at the 10 a.m. feeding, immediately before the Boz bottle. Have the little spoon feed ready warmed, and also the bottle feed. However, it may be advisable at first to keep the latter out of sight until the spoon feed has been disposed of. Increase the spoon feed bit by bit until you are giving four tablespoonfuls of cereal and six teaspoonfuls of scalded milk on it by 10 months. At first follow the spoon feed by the usual Boz bottle of milk mixture. Then, as more cereal is given, decrease the milk drink to 6oz or 7oz at this feed. Between 10 and 11 months increase the allowance of cereal up to a total of 10 or 11 tablespoonfuls at 11 months; divide this between two meals, usually 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Between 11 and 12 months you can increase the total still further, up to about 15 tablespoonfuls daily at 12 months. Another question which arises is when baby may be given ordindry porridge instead of strained jelly. One must be guided in this by the digestive' powers of the individual baby. In any case the change must be made very gradually. Too rapid introduction of unstrained porridge may cause diarrhoea. The digestive tract needs to be educated by degrees to deal with coarser parts of the meal. As a general rule, one starts when baby is about a year old to add a teaspoonful or two of unstrained porridge to the jelly, stirring well in. Every day or so you can add a little more of the unstrained part until by the time baby is between 15 and 18 months old the whole may be given unstrained. If at any time the motions tend to become ’ relaxed go more slowly for a time. Some babies with a tendency to this condition have to be graded very carefully indeed; others, on the contrary, with a tendency to constipation can advance much more quickly, taking with advantage half unstrained porridge at a year and all unstrained at 15 months. Use your discretion; be guided in every instance by the motions, etc. In giving baby his crusts of twicebaked bread (prepared as described in this column last week) be prepared to spend 10 minutes or so at feeding time teaching baby how to eat . the bread until he becomes expert at it. Usually, if properly trained, he will soon learn to dispose of every crumb in a very business-like manner. I stress the point that these crusts should be given at least 10 minutes before the rest of the meal, as at first it is not actually the food value one should be concerned with, but the educating of the baby’s masticating organs. Give one of these crusts before the 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. meals, and when baby is taking them well give one before the 2 p.m. meal. Increase to two as soon as he is chewing them properly. If the gums are sore, softer crusts will have to be given for a time. Next week we will continue this article, giving further practical points in introducing new foods for the baby from nine to twelve months.