OUR BABIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2366, 5 December 1908, Page 9 (Supplement)

OUR BABIES.

(By Hygeia.)

Published under the auspices of tlio Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children.

WEANING BABIES WHO HAVE BEEN BREA ST-FED.

(Continued.)

Infants differ so much in their digestive powers that no hard and fa..L rules can be laid down for the course of feeding during- weaning. Even in the case of babies who appear to be in ordinary health, some can •assimilate stronger food when only five weeks old than oilier® can at five mouths. W<f state tlie average requirement, leaving it to the mother or nurse to decide whether in any particular instance it would be better to advance more slowly. There should never be any necessity to strengthen the food more quickly than we show below. In the case of a decidedly delicate baby, the best plan is to regard it as a month or so younger than its actual age, and to feed accordingly. Occasionally one conics across a bal>v so delicate that the best way to start artificial feeding is to give only whey for a few days, and in rare instances even this may need some diluting with sugar solution. Tlie whey slum!l bo properly prepared from new milk iteated to ISocleg. F., as shown in the Society’s pamphlet.

Oil DINAR Y ROUTINE

CLASS I

VCANING AT ONE MONTH

U min with one feeding a day oi a mixture" made up of one part of humanised milk and two parts of “sugar milk solution” (see the Soc.i'tv’s pamphlet “Feeding and Care of ill.:' Baby”). Reduce the proportion of sugar solution day by day, and increase the humanised milk, until on the f-.mrtli day equal quantities arc given. Three days later give two of humanised milk to one or sugar solution. At tlie end of -another week, that is, as a fortnight from the start, the s rength can have been gradually brought up to three of humanised milk to one of sugar solution. Some babies do-' best if kept oa this for a few weeks, but others can fully digest pure humanised milk in less than three weeks from the time of giving tlio first bottle. Changiug food ami manner of feeding is always a que-ti.yi of feeling one’s way. If at any point in the course of weaning tlie baby’s digestion seems to bo overtaxed, tlie best plan is to go back a stage and then to cautiously grade up again ’ from the diluted food, ft is a mistake to unduly burry matters, but on tlie other hand the sooner a baby can be worked up to taking pure humanised milk, or only slightly diluted with sugar solution,tlie bet-ter-provided always that the digestion is not overtaxed, which would bo shown by the habitual presence of undigested" curd in the stools, etc. Remember that some babies wlio have very feeble digestion may do best if started with simple whey made from new milk—see previous paragraph.

CLASS II

AYE VNING AT FROM TWO TO THREE MONTHS.

Bog! si with one feeding a day of throe/ parts of sugar of milk solution to two of humanised milk. In three days the baby can bo taking equal parts, and at the end of a week two parts of humanised milk to one of sugar solution. At 10 days from the start the baby may have three of humanised milk to one of sugar solution. This can be continuedunchanged for another week, or, if digestion is good, (lie sugar solution may be straightway lessened day by day. The average two to three-months’ old breast-fed baby is able to take pure humanised milk at the end of two or three weeks from the time of starting artificial feeding; hut in some icaoes the infant thrives bettor if kept for some time longer on one or sugar solution to three of humanised milk. Where the digestive power is still wea’ker we may need to treat tho baby as belonging to Class I. (oeo above.) , , . . CLASS 111.

WEANING AT FROM FOUR TO NINE MONTHS.

Commence with equal parts of humanised milk and sugar solution, and in the course of a week work up to three of humanised milk to one of sugar solution. Then commence adding a level teaspoonful of oat .telly pei feeding. At the end of a fortmgnt the food used should be the pure humanised milk. By the time the baby is ten months old the feedings should have been worked up to .the standard recommended' in the Society s pamphlet, and thenceforth the scheme there shown should be followed. ‘ On receipt of 3d in stamps tli© pamphlet will be posted to any address by the hon. secretary, Mrs. Carew, 3 Heriot Row, Dunedin. Food graded for weaning in accordance with the above advice will be sent out- ready prepared in Dunedin by the ‘ Taieri and Peninsula Dairy Company if desired, the charge being the same as for ordinary humanised milk. , , , , Remember that the whole of what, is said above refers to the breast-fed baby. Later I shall describe how to change from various forms of artificial feeding to the use of humanised milk.