OUR BABIES

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1542, 30 August 1924, Page 2

OUR BABIES

FEEDING CHILDREN. Knowing how precise and definite are the food requirements during infancy, people not unnaturally suppose that a series of feeding-tables could be drawn up adapted to each succeeding year of a child's life. Unfortunately the problem is much more complex and difficult than appears at first sight. Every normal baby of a given age and weight does best on almost exactly the same allowance of only one food—viz., mother's milk, which varies very little in composition. At a month old an infant needs about a pint (20 ounces) of milk with a fuel value of 400 calories; at two months he needs 25 ounces, at four months 30 ounces, and at eight months 35 ounces, with a fuel value of 750 calories, or nearly double his requirement at a month. AFTER THE FIRST TWO YEARS. No such' simple and clear-cut' indication can be given as to what is best for children after 'the first two years; and with each succeeding year the permissible or necessary variations from any specific dietary standard that could be laid down would become wider and wider on account of the great divergences in the lives led by children under different family conditions, and in diverse local circumstances and environments. 1 In some families children have the very great advantage of spending their days in the open air and sunshine. Such children reap the benefit of leading the active, joyous, natural lives needed for the perfect all-round growth and development of all the higher animals—and by none so much as by the young of man himself, whose first and greatest need is, to. be reared as a "healthy animal." Being in perfect bpdily form, full' of life, breathing deeply, and with their fires never banked except during sleep they naturally consume and need much more food and oxygen than the little unfortunates subjected to the artificial restrictions and 'temptations of our so-called civilisation. Nothing is worse for young children than the combined effect of lack of outing and sunshine, restricted opportunities for outdoor play and games, the taking of sweets and "pieces" between meals, and, last but not least, being taken to "the pictures" when they ought to be revelling in the open air or in bed and asleep. Besides these considerations, affecting the amount of building material and fuel that the child needs or can deal with, we have always to .bear in mind the' diverse nature and quality of the foodstuffs and meals which can be supplied in different families—varying with locality, season, and the means and feeding habits of the parents. Can definitely ascertained practical knowledge (science) help the mother at all in this vitally important question "how to feed her children with a view to keeping them strong and healthy and thereby ensuring them the best future prospects—physical, mental and moral"?

Fortunately we can now lay • down several simple, very important, practical truths, and the parents who take these into account will not go far wrong in the feeding of the family.

Two years ago the Department of Health issued a little book entitled "The Health of Children, with Special Reference to Food and Feeding." A new edition came out quite recently. As this booklet'deals in a simple way with the food ..requirements of children in general, we purpose giving our readers the benefit of the advice and information it contains. THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN, With Special Reference to Fowd! a.n<T Fet'd'inig". It is especially important to establish as far as possible consistency and practical uniformity in the principles taught, countenanced, and put in practice by educational and other authorities having to do with the rearing of children. Following on a conference of the Directors of the Health Department with the School Medical Officers on the above subject, held on the Sth and 9th September, 1921, a sub-commit-tee consisting of'Dr. F. Truby King, Dr. E. H. Wilklns, and Mr T. A. Hunter was appointed for the purpose of drafting recommendations, suggestions, and resolutions based, on the proceedings, discussions, and resolutions of the conference. In drawing up its .statement the sub-committee has attempted merely to set forth simple, practical, guiding principles bearing on prevailing errors in regard to the food and feeding of children beyond infancy. No attempt has been made to traverse the whole field of dietetics and nutrition; the aim has been only to point out briefly the main essentials for improving the health, nutrition and growth of the rising generation, just where people tend to go most astray. FATS AND OILS. In general there is a fair proportion of fat in the average colonial dietary, but it should be emphasised that ample fat in the daily food i:; specially important in childhood.

On economic grounds it is well for parents and guardians to realise that butter, which is always more or less expensive, has practically no advantages, as regards nutrition and health, over the much cheaper dripping—or suet used in cooking. SUGARS AND n MARCHES. • While a due proportion of carbohydrates is necessary in the diet, it is of the greatest importance that we should encourage their use as far as possible in their natural associations with other materials (e.g., as occurring in whole meal, fresh fruit, vegetables, etc.) rather than in the form of the separated, refined, and concentrated flours, starches, and sugars of commerce. There is practical unanimity amongst medical and dental authorities that the present excessive use of manufactured sugar, sweets, chocolates, biscuits, cakes, etc., especially between meals or at bed-time, is the most potent cause of indigestion, malnutrition, and dental disease. The practice of sweet-eating by children between meals should be condemned without reservation as to the quality of the sweets. As a choice of evils no doubt "boiled sweets" are less injurious than soft, sticky sweets such as chocolates, etc; but the common idea that "boiled sweets" are harmless is quite erroneous. Every effort should be made by parents, teachers, and others to check the excessive use of sweets and confectionery at any time, because this spoils the natural taste for plain, simple, wholesome food, and gives rise to an unnatural craving for sugar and highly-sweetened artificial products.