OUR BABIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 138, 13 June 1931, Page 14 (Supplement)

OUR BABIES

The Dull Days. Last week we discussed the question lof comfort ami colour in connection i with children in winter time; this week •i let ns go on Io consider the question oi diet, with special reference to cold wen ■ I t her condit ions. ■ Healthy, active children teml to be I well ami hungry in cold weather, an I should be able to take with advantarather more food, and (’specially rathci more fat in the diet, than is necessary or good in hot weather. One rmisoii for this is that fat produces heat, but the more important reason is that cer tain fats are the jirinciplr sources of ' two of the “vitamins” so specially 1 necessary for growing children. Vitamin D. ; One ot’ these. Vitamin D. is pro- ’ i duced by some of the properties of . sunlight acting on out bodies, either ■ directly by shining on the skin, or indi- ■ I rec fly through the food we eat. Natur- | ally, w hen direct sunshine is at a minimum during short winter days, an additional supply of the “sunlight far tor” in food is required, because, as most people know nowadays, insufficiency of this factor predisposes a child to rickets, decay of the teeth, ami other conditions of ill-health. Vitamin A. But that is not all—there is another vitamin, known as A. which is also a very important factor in the diet of children, specially during winter. Vitamin A is concerned with resistance to infection, and deficiency of this factor in the food causes increased susceptibility to all sorts of infections, .nclud ing colds and chest trouble. There fort; it is advisable to supple meat the diet in winter with food or foods speciallv rich in both vitamins A and 1). Butter, cream, and eggs contain both, bn. are apt to be poor in these factors in winter, just when they are wanted most. Also, one cannot increaso thi* allowance of these foods beyond a certain point without causing indigestion. Cod-Liver Oil. < od liver oil is our “royal stand-by” * in this connection. Jt is an extremely riel, and reliable source of both vitamins A and D. Strange as it seems, green plants are the primary source of the vitamins, even in cod-liver oil. In the .springtime there is a, great growth in the seas of, minute green , vegetation, in which is concentrated 1 the wonderful properties of the sun’s | rays. ’I he plants form the food of tiny floating animals, which in turn are eaten by small fish, and these again ov larger fish, such as the cod. The vitamin from the green plants is transferred from the smaller to the larger fish ia the process of digestion, and finally becomes concentrated in the liver of the cod. Therefore cod-liver oil contains the vitamin collected and eoncen1 trated from an enormous quantity of I green plants. Not without reason has been described as “bottled sunshine.” I However, pure cod-liver oil. as such, is unpalatable, and though some children take it well in this form, it is best given in the form of an emulsion, which should be finely homogenised, so as to place no tax on the digestive organs. In order to meet this need for ehil I ron past infancy, the Ivaritanc Products Society prepares a special emulsion consisting of selected fats and oils and a certain proportion of malt extract and other sugar. The fats are mostly

!cod liver oil and bone marrow; the lat, iter has some nutrition-promoting properties which make it a highly desirable complement to the cod-liver oil. This emulsion is known as “Kuril,” to , distinguish it from Plunket Emulsion i (or “Kariol”). which is specially pre- ; [pared for the making of humanised milk for babies. Karil emulsion may be obtained from any of the Plunke’, | rooms, and the Plunket nurses will advise any mother regarding details as to i j its use in the diet. Food, Not Medicine. ! It must be clearly understood that we I recommend this emulsion definitely, I simply and solely as a food to supplement the ordinary diet of the child, particularly in winter and early spring, and not in any way or at any time as a medicine. We have nothing to do wir.n [the advocacy of drugs or medicines: our province is the promotion of good nutriI lion and growth by natural, simple - means. j It must not be thought, however, that . I the giving of a few teaspoonsful of codIlivei oil emulsion every day will make up for all, or any, radical errors or deficiencies in the child’s ordinary diet. It certainly will not do anything of , the kind. Good wholesome meals, including daily some brown bread, milk, butter, vegetables and fruit, raw and . cooked, with eggs or fish in moderation—these are the basic requirements. Cod-liver oil, in whatever form it is given, is valuable to supplement such a diet in certain directions, but it canuot take the place of any of the basic Ingredients. With regard to the planning of actual meals, possibly the following sugges- ' tions, based on practical experience with children, may be useful to mothBreakfast. Porridge.— Use simple, coarse oatmeal Gas a general rule, unJess lack of fa litie. really makes adequate cooking impossible; in this case a variety of rhe finer meals needing less cooking must be resorted to. Jt is sensible, of eour.-j, to cook oatmeal porridge during the I day, whilst the stove is on for the preparation of dinner, so that it only needs heating through before breakfast. A double boiler is an advantage for this. Whole wheat-meal makes very nice porridge, and may be used sometimes tor a change. Variety of cereals is good. Milk should be allowed liberally with porridge, but it is well to make the meal fairly stiff, so that ihe addition of milk docs not transform it, into a semi-liquid state. No sugar is required; if taken, it should be only a sprinkling of brown sugar. Children all to easily get the habit of taking “sugar and porridge” rather than “porridge and milk.” Porridge in itself is by no means indispensable. Oatcakes and butter, with a drink of milk, form an equally nutritious meal—with the added advantage of providing good chewing material for exercise of jaws and teeth. However, in winter a hot dish of porridge is “grateful and comforting.” No other cooked dish is required, the meal being perfectly adequate if porridge is followed by brown bread and butter or crisp thin toast, buttered cold, and a drink of warm milk and water. Dinner. Soup.—ln winter time it is a good plan to have the soup pot fairly constantly on the go. Save, for use in soups, all water strained from cooked vegetables (especially spinach, celery, and carrots), and use all kinds of root vegetables, also barley, rice. lentils, and peas, in preparing the stock; small, scrubby vegetables may be used up in this way. \ egetables.—Ring the changes on all ' the vegetables procurable during rhe winter months, giving at least one every day besides potato. Cook : potatoes in their jackets. Serve all vegetables nicely mashed, or sieved and properly hot with butter or gravy. Puddings.—Al ilk puddings, custards, stewed fruit, (fresh and dried), light _ steamed or baked sponge puddings—all those are suitable, but do not make a fetish of the cooked pudding habit, even in winter. Our national devotion

to puddings of the conventional type is really only a matter of custom. As a matter of fact, there is much to be said against them, as being both starchy and pappy—the worst combination for thr» teeth. Raw fruit, with a piece or two of oatcake, a slice of plain cake, or a home-made wholemeal scone or biscuit, and a drink of warm milk makes an excellent second course. Fish and Eggs.—Steamed fish may be given at the mid-day meal once or twice a week, a lightly poached or coddled egg on other days, either with vegetables or with brown bread and butter for a change. But neither are necessary every day. A very little meat may be given occasionally if desired, but meal is not a necessity in the diet of children. Tea. The mainstay of the evening meal is bread; brown, at least in part, aud preferably toasted or dried jn the oven, with warm milk to drink. A little cocoa may be added if desired. Give a fai. allowance of butter, or guod beef dripping occasionally for a change. A scrape of Mannite, a little grated cheese, or honey may be allowed. Use lettuce, also dates, in sandwiches and as the children grow older and thorough, chewing has become a fixed habit, the range of variety can be increased 10 include raisins, nuts, and other healthy foods requiring mastication. Weilbaked wholemeal scones and plain cakes and biscuits way be allowed f >r variety. If it is thought, desirable to have something hot at this meal from time to time, a little soup may be given them instead of at the mid-day meal, a little milk pudding may be served up, or an egg may be given, on a CTay when dinner has consisted of vegetables and gravy. Apples.—Train the children to “the ! apple rule”—that is. to chewing a piece [ of apple at the very end ot’ every meal, • taking in this way at least one apple a , day. Iliis cleanses the teeth and leaves [ the mouth in a healthy state. j Granges.—During the winter, when | oranges are coinparatively cheap, it is jwi.se to take full advantage ot the season; oranges arc a very ialuab]© . food, and even half an urangc a d.tv goes quite a long way to imurove ife winter diet. Milk.—Growing children need half tj one pint of milk a day. according ro iige and other factors. In the average family jt is necessary to that at least half a pint is available for an,| taken by each child. There i> apt io be a good deal of vagueness on ;!i 0 point. Apart From Diet. I However, the prevention of wtntci ailments, like the prevention of other | ailments, is something more than a I matter of diet alone. The health' rhdd who from infancy onwards has been I we' nourished a „d brought up eouatsf. , enlly Io be hardy and strong should I have good resistance to infection. cas» adaptation to changes of temperature, and a cheery indifference to cold and bad weather. Let. us begin at the beginning wherever we can, but it is never 100 bite to mend, and correction of diet lind habits now, where such are wrong, will do much to secure present and fntni, i good health.