OUR BABIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17780, 25 February 1926, Page 10

OUR BABIES.

By

HYGEIA.

Published under the auspices of 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.” THE ARTIFICIALLY-FED BABY. THE KEEPING OF ITS MILK DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. In order to safeguard the baby’s health throughout the summer months special precautions should be taken when preparing its milk mixture for the day. Immediately the milk arrives, or as soon after as possible, it must be pasteurised—i.e., heated to 155 degrees Fahrenheit, and kept at or near that temperature for ten minutes, at the end of which time the milk muse be cooled rapidly (preferably in running water) until the temperature registers 60 degrees or lower. A dairy thermometer (price about 3s) is the only extra required for pasteurising. Pasteurising arrests the growth of the ordinary bacteria specially injurious to babies without seriously affecting the vifamines. If a dairy thermometer has not been procured, the milk can be scalded—i.e., brought to the boil, drawn aside, and kept at this temperature for live to ten minutes, then cooled rapidly as before. The jug should then be placed in a cool spot, airy and away from drains, etc., and should stand in a basin or soup plate into which some cold water has been poured. The jug should be covered lightly with butter muslin, which must be long enough to dip into the water all round. By this means the milk is kept cool by the evaporation from the wet muslin.

Especially during the • summer months the bab}*’s motions must be watched for any sign of summer diarrhoea. the most dreaded and disastrous of infantile ailments. This is first noticeable in that the motions are passed frequently and arc greenish in colour. An occasional green motion is consistent with good health, but when the motions are progressively increasing in number and are of a relaxed nature a doctor’s advice should be sought. However, there need be no cause .for alarm if the illness is checked at the start. It is safest to substitute at least one feed with pure boiled water given at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (the temperature at which the baby's food should always be given). This gives the germs no further food to feed on, and may be followed by the boiling and dilu tion of the milk mixture for a day or so. As the motions again approach the normal, the amount of time for which the milk has been boiled must be gradually lessened, and the diluent taken out cautiously. There would be practically no cases of summer diarrhoea if people took extra care of‘the milk and its preparation during the summer months. Every utensil used in its preparation must be thoroughly sterilised before use, as must also be the feeding bottle and teat. Never omit to thoroughly cleanse the hands before preparing the baby’s food. If these precautions are taken, and the baby has the essentials for maintaining good health, tjie risk of summer diarrhoea is very greatly lessened.