OUR BABIES

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 134, 9 February 1915, Page 3

OUR BABIES

( By Hygei a. )

[PublLlu'-d by vpquest of vim Taihapc Plunket Nurse Society. |

FDMONISSD MILK . FROM UNSWEETENED CONDENSED MILK—FURTHER SIMPLIFICATION.

Some weeks ago I gave a recipe and inatrutiens for preparing Humanised Milk from unsweetened Condensed Milk, and showed how very easily this could be carried out. An ordinary tin of good unsweetened Condensed Milk was taken as the basis —Oil and Sugar of milk being added in the proportions requisite to bring the main constituents into line with Nature’s standard--vi;-:, Mother’s Milk. Since writing, my attention has been drawn to the fact that Unsweetened Condensed Milk can be procured throughout the Dominion in tins less than half the ordinary size. This is very groat advantage, because it enables the mother to prepare without the slightest trouble just alt out the quantity the average baity (say. from the tii! d to the fifth mouth ) nu- b- for the - ! hours. Consulting .the l o-.ab;- • T. 1 l.'ie on page t of the Society ••• book '■Feeding and Care of Baby,” it will bo seen that the progressive standard allowance covering this period averages from 270 z to 330 z. J (ind that the smaller-sized tin of the Idea) Brand contains just enough Condensed Milk to form, along with froof Oil and ifoz Sugar of Milk, a pink and a half (that is, 30ozs) of Humanised Mill;, having practically the same strength and composition of Human Milk. As explained in the previous articles, it is preferable to give trie milk somewhat weaker in summer time, and as the average need of the baby in warm weather may be assumed to be about 10 per cent, less than its need in winter, we recommend making the small tin serve for the preparation of o.'Joz instead of OOoz of Humanised Milk. A bay fed with this mixture, I and given the quantities shown on the Feeding Table month by month, would get just about the right quantity fm use throughout the summer. In winter time lie could bo given about -'.oz more per feeding, or, if preferred, the milk could be made up to the full strength and the standard allowances in the table could be adhered to. j | SPECIAL WARNING. One point-which must always be borne in mind is the supreme importance of BREAST-FEEDING for the first nine months of life, ancf, railing this, the superiority of Standard Humanised Milk made with fresh Cow’s Milk to anything that can be prepared from tinned milk in any shape or form, i Having made the position quite j clear, I shall now repeat the former re- j cipe, merely substituting the figures ! needed when using flic smaller tin of | Condensed Milk.

RECIPE. I. Take a special small-sized tin of Unsweetened Condensed Milk. The small tin of the Ideal Brand contains just sf|oz by weight, and this is the quantity to use in this recipe. 11. Put the unopened tin into a saucepan of quickly boiling water, deep enough to cover it completely. Keep it there for four minutes: the milk will thou be thin enough to spurt dangerously when the tin is punctured. If the tin were kept in the boiling water for longer than four minutes a jet of boiling water might spurt up into the face on making a puncture. IJ. Remove the tin from the saucepan and make two small holes in the top by. stabbing with a clean scalded spike or the sharp end of a file. The position of the punctures is an important practical point. Thev should bo us close to the rim as possible, and should be made on exactly opposite sides of-the top of the tin. If this is done the hole held downwards serves

for the outflow of milk, while the top hole serves for the ingoing air. If the holes are made near one another, the milk may scarcely flow at ail, and what does come tends to spurt out in jerks. The best-sized holes arc such that a slate pencil would just clear.

IV. Into a clean, scalded, thoroughly hot pint jug put lioz by weight of sugar of milk.

Instead of weighting the sugar of milk, it is simpler and easier to use a proper "sugar measure," The standard measure recommended by the Society holds just half a weighed ounce of sugar of milk when filled loosely (not pressed down in any way), and scraped off level, with the back of a knife. On no account should ordinary tablespoons be used for measuring the sugar: a medicine measure for fluids would be equally at fault for this purpose. If a sugar measure is not available, procure a chipbox (used for ointments) from a chemist, and pare it, off till it just holds a weighed -loz of sugar of milk, when loosely filled and scraped off level as described. Throe measurefuls would, of course, give the required 1 loz. V. Take a clean, scalded fork and stir into the sugar a measured oz of oil,

The oil should have been heated beforehand by standing the oil-bottle in hot water: hot oil blends more readily with the dry sugar and helps emulsion —that is, sub-division of the oil into tiny droplets. Good cod-liver oil, olive oil, or linseed oil may bo used, according to cir-

eit instances. I shall deal with this in a ■ later article. To i'mai a well-blended, creamy paste pour in an ounce on two of the hot, condensed milk, and beat thoroughly. Then pour in the rest of the eontents of the tin. and beat up the r-mnl-si on vigorously for five minutes. Now stir in a measured Uloz of boil- ! ing water, and stand the jug, loosely | covered, for five minutes in a warn .; place (say on a moderately warm part |of the range or on the hob. This will ! scotch or kill any germs that may have ; gained entry. At Hie end of the fis’c : minutes, to ensure thorough -blending, : pour the milk briskly backwards and : forwards half a dozen times, using : another clean, scalded jug which Tip.:I been standing, cool and covered ready [ for the purpose. f ' HOW TO KEEP AND TREAT THE PREPARED MILK. i We now have nearly 17oz (say IGi.oz | when cooled) of Concentrated Humanl ised Milk —enough to form double tin- ; quantify f 330 over one and a half i pints) of Standard Humanised Milk, as [ used for feeding the baby. Aii that j needs to be done to keep the mily safe is to cool down the contents of the jug - as rapilly as possible, and keep eooi. i This is effected by standing the Jug, loosely covered with a saucer turned upside down, in cold water —preferably | running water —for half an hour. Then i transfer the jub to a cool, airy safe. ; Thus treated, the mixture will keep ; quite well for 2-1 hours in hot weather. N.B.—lf not stirred and blended from time to time, some of the oil tends to • rise up and tloat on the top. To pre- : vent this, keep an ext in pint jug always ready, and pour the milk briskly backwards and forwards from the one to the other half a dozen times at each feeding period, just before pouring out the allowance for the baby's meal. Both jugs must be kept covered with, inverted saucers in a cool, airy safe; but there is no necessity to wash and scald either jug more often than every 12 hours.

HARD TO EXPLAIN—EASY TO DO. To carry out the whole of the instructions for preparing the milk from start to finish should not take longer than a uartor of an hour. It is difficult to describe and. explain shortly in detail, but the recipe may be summarised thus:—

Summarised Recipe for Preparing over One and a-half Pints of Humanised Milk from a special small tin of Unsweetened Coucrensed Milk: l loz of Sugar of Milk, lox .of heated oil. 1 heated tinful of Ideal Milk. 114 oz of boiling water. Blend thoroughly, cool rapidly in running water, and then stand the jug. loosely covered, in a cool, out door safe. To form Humanised Milk from the above, mix - , before using, with an equal volume of boiling water.

WARNING: Never start using the above, or any other form'of artificial food, of the standard strength—the baby’s stomach should be habituated more or loss gradually to the use of any unaccustomed preparation. It may be desirable to delay reaching full strength Humanised Milk for one, two or three weeks, or even longer, acording to the age, health, and digestive power of the particular infant. The mother will have little difficulty in judging how to proceed if she carefully roads page 30 of the Society’s book, ‘ ‘ Feeding and Care of Baby,” and makes use of the table in Hie column last mouth.

Farther, the mother should consult the preceding articles of (his series regarding the use of white of egg. fruit juice, etc.