OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1995, 28 February 1914, Page 11

OUR BABIES.

TBi PublUh*d und« tho ausploes of tli« S&siety for the Htalth of "Women and Children. "It la wltor to put up & fenoo at the top of a prooipioo than to maintain an anbvtones at too bottom."

SUPER-HEATED MILK FOR BABIES. Every year more or less conflicting reports appear in the medical journals and in the public newspapers as to the amount of harm done by heating to a high degree milk intended for baby-feed" ing. The main point for mothers and nurses always to bear in mind is this. Tho less milk is altered or tampered .with in. any way before it enters the stomach of the young being for whom Nature has,prepared it the better. There is not the slightest reason'for supposing that any l'orm of artificial feeding, whether we are dealing , with babies or calves, will ever give as good results as normal natural feeding; but with duo care and attention it is wonderful what can be done.

' Every departure from Nature in this connection should be looked upon as a step in the wrong direction, except in so far as one step out of the proper Course may force upon us another step in order to get. back nearer to tho right track. This normal suckling is undoubtedly'the best, and it has often been suggested that if a baby could'not be suckled by a human mother the next, best thing would be to\arrange for its suckling, say, by a goat. This has been seriously advocated, and even carried out in practice, in the course of the last few years, and pictures of babies being so suckled havo appeared in the illustrated "newspapers. -A baby can certainly be fed and reared this way: but it is, obviously inconvenient, and the results on the whole have not been satisfactory. The composition of goat's milk is ideal for one creature only— namely, the kid.

When any. milk other than human has to be used for a baby it ought to be modified so as to make the proportions of its curd, fat, etc., correspond as nearly as possible to thoso of human milk. In other, words, it ought to be properly modified or humanised. Fur-ther,-if the ; milk has become contaminated with' microbes to any marked excbndition_ almost inevitable in the. practical feeding of babies with ordinary dairymtin's milk —it ought to be subjected to some process which will kill iioxious germs. It may be objected that this very heating must lie harmful to the milk if. all departures . from ■ what Nature does are steps in the wrong direction. But this is simply one of those•steps ,that is forced'upon 'us by having, gone' out of the proper course in-the first instance. Pasteurising or oven boiling milk is far less prejudicial to babies than the use of milk loaded with microbes which give rise to fermentation and poisoning. Tho course of wisdom and oommon sense is to do simply what is essential, and: if. ire are obliged to heat milk for baby-feeding, to heat it as little as may bo necessary to render it safe for use.

The boiling of milk is not generally desirable unless the baby is suffering temporarily from • soroo abnormal condition such as ■ diarrhoea.-. In general, heating !to 155 degrees Falir.; which kills tubercle baccili, rentiers milk otherwise safe,, provided due precautions are taken to cool it quickly after heating, to keep it in a; cool, airy place, and not to allow too long to clapso .before using it. • _ Oiving.'to the , very great difficulties which exist in . the Old World, especially among tho crowded populations of the poor'and submerged classes in large cities, condensed and dried milks have como to be largely advocated of lata years. But the Public Health Authorities generally recognise that this falling back on sterilisation by heat, in spite of tho convenience, is a grave evil, and should only bo recommended whore the local circumstances'make it more or less impossible to got any better substitute.

. Liverpool is a case in poiiit. Dr. Truby King, when in England, paid two •visits to the city • in. order, to investigate practically the various agencies -by which the -m'unicipalty (including the Public Health Department), tho • University. authorities, the medical profession in general, and private societies are trying to bring about an improvement in the health and vitality of children. In the meantime 1 shall deal simply with Dr. King's account of what fs being done with regard to improving the conditions for rearing babies artificially. ' , ' . The Health Department issues a neat folded cardboard "Memorandum on tho Supply'of: Milk for the use of infants whose mothers- are not ablo to suckle them." ■ This card contains tho addresses of half' a dozen depots for the sale of sterilised humanised milk. Tho depots are opsn daily from 11 a.m. till 6 p.m. Tho following are some of the leading instructions:—

INSTRUCTIONS. 1. The milk for 24 hours is supplied in six or more bottles, each bottle containing sufficient milk for one feed, the quantity and composition being regulated in seven grades adapted for the ago of the particular child.

2. Tho bottles issued are used as feeders, and each mother using tho milk is supplied, free with two teats. These must be kept clean and brought to tho depot for inspection once a week.' Extra teats are charged for at the rate' of 3d. each. Long tubing must not bo used. (This is specially underlined in the card.). -

3. Tho person using the mills must guarantee to continue its use regularly during the - needs of tho child, and to send for it at the stated hours.

.4. Mothers are'asked to bring their babies to. the depot once a fortnight for weighing, so as to make sure whether or not a proper increase in weight is taking place. If the mother concludes that the milk is not agreeing with tho child at any time, she is asked to report at once to the' superintendent of the central depot.

5. Tho cost of the full weekly supply of humanised milk for infants is Is. 6d., payablo in; advance. .If one day's supply only is taken tho charge is 3d. As I shall, explain next week, tho price charged is, of course, below cost, this modified milk for babies being dispensed to the poor as a municipal charity. The society strongly disapproves of the use of artificial foods as a substitute for mother's or humanised milk. Full directions for tho preparations of . tho latter is contained in tho society's published pamphlet entitled "What Baby Needs." •