OUR BABIES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2812, 1 July 1916, Page 5

OUR BABIES

fBY HYGEU.I

Published under the auspices of tho ltoyal Wow Zealand Society for tho Health of Women and Children. "It is wiser to put a fence at tlic top of precipice ttiau maintain an (Ambulance at tno bottom. difficulty of weaning. A Mother's Letter. The following letter Vs just been received from tno back country: "1 am taking the liberty ot writin B to you as I am in trouble :.bout my baby. 11l the first place, 1 am ghut ami proud to say that both my children luue been brouglit up in accordance \nth liw views of your society, and both been perfect babies as regalds health and behaviour. Tho baby, who i» ovui aiiie months old, was till that could bfc desired until abour four weeks ago, when I decided tho time had come tor weaning, and I accordingly commenced to give her humanised milk in the bottlo once a day. . , ... "She would not look at the bottle, although wo tried for hours at a time. So 1 tried spoon-feeding and then cupfeeding, but with no success. 1 was determined I would do all in my power, 60 I got her different patent foods, then groats—all of which she screamed at u a speck wont into her mouth. 1 gave ' these foods to her iu the bottle, cup, and by spoon, but with the same result. I thus tound that she did not object to the humanised milk any more tnau to other foods, so I have gone back to that. 1 tried starving her, and sho went 17 hours one day with nothing, and in the end I had to- give her the breast. Sho has frequently been starved for 12 hours; but she seemed to get so pale and thin that I thought this' must be too severe treatment. I spend hours with lier overy day, and. so does my maid; but she will take tho milk from nobody. Sho has a splendid appetite for the breast, but .1 feel I have not nearly enough for, her requirements: I discovered yesterday that she will cat a minute ecrap of thin bread and butter, but sho just slicks at home-made rusks. "I apologiso ,for this lengthy account of my troubles; but as no mother 'tip here knows how to help nie, and we,are living so entirely in the back-blocks,' I felt 1 must write to you. Thanking you in anticipation, and awaiting eagerly lor your reply,—l am, etc.," REPLY. It is not uncommon to have difficulty at weaning, and we have had some very obstinate cases; but the babies give up in the end, and do well. You must be firm, because at nine' or 10 months a baby knows quite well if your are worried and anxious, and it trades upon its knowledge. _ ,We have had babies sent to the Karitane Hospital on account of their mothers being uuablo to effect the weaning themselves, and the invariable experience has been. that in tho course of a few, days,: or a week at the longest, the babv Calls into line, and takes its food all right without crying or fighting against, it. Yet in these very cases tlie mothers had come to the conclusion that the repugnance to artifical food, or, rather, to an artificial method of feeding, was insuperable, and that the baby would rathor starve and die than, take sustenance except from the breast.

Specially, trained Nurse a Great Boon. Of course, you will realise that the loving mother stands at an' entire disadvantage to a capable and devoted as .well us firm and sensible professional nurse. The baby quickly finds out the difference between the nurse who will not give in, and the over-anxious mother, and therefore the victory is much more easily won' by the nurse. ■ Tho nurse knows perfectly well that it takes days, of starvation, to causa any. risk to life, and that if a little fluid is taken (even mere-water) tho baby will not go down hill rapidly—she knows that baby can keep going for weeks with a very littlo food. It is tho confidence begotten of such knowledge and 'experience that.. makes':; a : first-class, well-trained nurse, such a. blessing to mothers; but we" think if- you-and your "maid- clearly realise the-position and hold firm,/you will win through all right. The great thing is not to betray your own anxiety and sympathy to the baby, which, of course, it is very hard to prevent. Failing everything else we shall see )f some arrangement, cannot . possibly be made to get you and your baby tateii charge .-of for a week on the lines w« have indicated. We have no doubt whatever that in. this way success could bo attained without any serious strain on either yourself or the baby. However, it would be more satisfactory if you could manage yourselves. The following extract, adapted from Holt,, will, wo trukt, provo helpful. Dr. Holt's experienco is perhaps tho most extensive in Amorica, and Jiis authority is recoguised as world-wide:— ' Notes on Weaning, Adapted from Professor Holt. "Sudden weaning of an infant Jrom the breast is not only generally Inadvisable, but in some cases is attended with tho greatest difficulties. If the infant has been kept on the breast exclusively'until the, ninth month, when weaning -is attempted certain difficulties may at once appear. The infant tends not to take the bottle .if there is a breast at its disposal. Tho only,way out of the'difficulty

is to doprivo the infant at cei'lain tIWM of the day of the breast, and t«us starve it into 'talcing tiie bottle. This requires much iiioi-iil courage oil tho ;iart of 11)0 mother ami ot I hi: physician. In those cases in which tho mother nurses the infant we cannot ulways gain her corporation in denying the breast lo the uU'uui. Tho difficulties of weaning in such eases mi*© -only incraitfcd; but with patience we can ultimately overcome then). I have seen infants who wore deprived of tho breast at this period refusu to take but a few ounces of nourish-liont daily for weeks.. They emaciate, become restless,. and reiTise to be pacified. Under certain condition?, where thjs nursing function lias been discontinued and tho milk secretion has therefore ceased, the situation is at times really critical, tint I have invariably seen the child, take to its artificial, food in due season, even if this surrender was delayed.for,a long period of time. Patience will ultimately conquer tho little one in these cases. . . . Somo infants who have been at the breast up to the ninth month will refuse to take any modifications of milk which contain the cereal decootions, tarley, or oat jelly. Iu these cases 1' have tempted the infants with small <juantiti»s of raw milk slightly diluted with water, forgo ing all attempts at percentage modification. This seems to have succeeded the best iu trying cases. "For some of these infants an ounce of expressed lieef-juice is mixed v/ith an equal • quantity of barley-water ami slightly salted. This is given cnce a day. Infant's relish this change."

A Point of Practical Importance. A procedure not mentioned by Holt, but which should undoubtedly be Iried in all such cases, is to draw off some breast milk and trv to get the baby to take this by bottle or spoon. Tho main point to arrive at is to overcome tne baby's predilection for the breast as compared v/ith any artificial appliance. Once a baby lias yielded to faking its accustomed food by the new method, the Mother, has got more than half-way. towards bringing about the acceptance of other suitable foods. Of course, in a case of this kind, ifhe transition should be made very slowly and tactfully, «i> as not lo provoke resistance,.