OUR BABIES

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 81, 3 February 1928, Page 2

OUR BABIES

I BY HYGEIA. ' Published under the auspices c£ ; the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children (Plunket Society). "It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom." ,' " KARILAC. | Since the introduction last year of i the Society's new simplified recipe for humanised milk made with Karilac to supply the sugar element, numerous inquiries have been made as to the uses and advantages; of Karilac. For the benefit of those I who may not know of this last ; improvement in the artificial feeding :of babies we print the following jquestions and answers: Question: What is Karilac? Answer: Karilac is the name given Ito a series of sugar preparations consisting of sugar of milk and refined dextrose, with a trace of pure ; edible gelatine added. | Q.: What is dextrose? j A.: Dextrose i s simply a form of 'sugar. It i s the most quickly and easly absorbed of all sugars. All the other sugar.s (including even sugar of milk) have to be converted into dextrose by the digestion before they can be made use of in the human body. Dextrose is used by surgeons for injecting straight into the blood stream in order to supply immediate nutriment in emergencies, prevent collapse, and sustain life. Q.: Is dextrose better than sugar of milk for babies?

j A.: Sugar of milk is a good and 'natural form of sugar for babies, but it i s best combined with some dextrose for artificial feeding. Q.: Why is that so?

A.: It has been proved recently that, young, delicate, and emaciated babies can- readily absorb and make full use of one and a-half times as much sugar when a porportion of the 'daily allowance is in the form of dextrose than when they are restricted to sugar of milk alone. ■ This is mainly because dextrose is so readily [and easily absorbed. Therefore, (in commencing artificial feeding or in 'feeding delicate babies, it is a great advantage tb start with a full proportion of sugar of milk up to Nature's standard; and dVen normal, healthy; artificially-fed babies are better for receiving a small part of their daily sugar allowance in the form of dextrose. Q.: How can one get sugar of milk and dextrose in the right proportions?

A; There arc fivo Jvirila'c sugar mixture s specially prepared for systematically grading the sugar element in the baby's food up to the full standard for artificial feeding, \Karilac No. 1 consists of nine-tenths dextrose and only one-tenth sugar of 'milk: No. 2 consists of three parts 'dextrose and one part sugar of milk; No. 3 is half and.half; No. 4 is three parts sugar of milk and one part 'dextrose; and No. 5 contains only /one-tenth dextrose arid nine-tenths sugar of milk. Q.: How is one to know which number; to use : ? A.: Consult a Plunket nurse (personally or by letter) about baby's food if in any way possible. However, as a broad, general guide one may say that for normal ( healthy ar-tificially-fed babies Nos'.. 4 andj 5

are indicated, because, for continued use, the largest proportion of the sugar allowance should bo in the form of sugar of milk. Nos. 1 and 2 are only required for very young or delicate babies whose diet needs skilful adjustment, and in these cases no pains should be spared to get in touch with a Plunket nurse or Karitane Hospital for full and detailed advice about the fOOu. Q: How should one proceed if a baby has to be artificially fed from birth or shortly after? A.: In such a case, if no Plunket nurse is the section of ("Feeding and Care of Baby" devoted !to artificial feeding, and especially pages 31 and 32, or the pamphlet | "Baby's First Month," should be referred to, so that the food mdy be .'properly diluted and other safd- | guards taken. With regard to the sugar, it is a safe general rule to i,make a start with Karilac No. 1. jWhen one packet is finished, supposing all is going well, a change 'may be made to No. 2, using two .'packets of this grade. Three packv'et g of No. 3 may be used next, followed by No. 4 and finally by No. 5, which may be used for the rest of I'tlle time.

j Q.: Has Karilac any other advantages over sugar of milk.alone? j : A.: Yes, lime water is not necesfsary when Karilac is used. Karilac "renders the crude, tough curd of j cow's milk lighter and more easily * digested and more effective. This improvement ig brought about mainly by the inclusion in the sugar I ture of a trace of gelatine, i Q.: What recipe should bo used for making humanised milk with Karilac? A.: The following is the standard | recipe for . f }()oz (L.i points) of luiinaiiflised milk No. 3 made with Karilac:— Cow's milk 2 teaeupfuls (13oz), Karilac 2 level tablespoonfuls, *Kariol 1J level tablespoonfuls, boiled water to make up to 1V pints (i-c. 170/,). I Dissolve the Karilac in about a quarter of a pint Of the water (boiling. * Kariol is Plunket emulsion, which i s now known by this name. Begin j with only half a teaspoOni'ul of Kariol ,a clay, and increase gradually to the full allowance. It is best given separately by spoon, immediately before or after a feed. • N.B. —Never give the above recipe

full strength to begin with. Dilute the mixture with at least an equal quantity Of extra water, and increase the strength gradually. E'very care a s to cleanliness, pasteurising, or scalding, rapid cooling. etc. must, of course, be observed, and the' daily use of fresh fruit J" ice must never be omitted in any form of artificial' feeding.

Both Kariol (Plunket emulsion) and Karilac are made at the Kxiritane Products Society's factory in Wellington. Both are obtainable from the Plunket nurses anywhere in New Zealand, who will also give any further information desired. kariol (Plunket emulsion) affords the best, safest, and simplest means of supplying the additional fat element required i n humanising milk. Karilac affords the simplest and best means of suplpying the additional sugar element. It should never be forgotten, however, that even the best artificial feeding, if commenced early or suddenly, throws a great strain on the baby's system, and nothing can ever make an artificial food equal to the natural food of the baby. Therefore every bottle-fed baby has the right to the very best and safest substitute of which we know. "The best we can do i s the least wo can do" fbr the little ones too early deprived of their birthright—mother's inilk.