Babies fed correctly

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 248, 28 June 1988, Page 12

Babies fed correctly

This is the first in a series of articles written by local health nurses Eve Rush, Leigh Berry and Carol Harford. The articles cover correct care of babies and small children. There are a number of babies in the Waimarino that suffer from a variety of health problems related t o poor diet, according to Mrs Rush. Anaemia: Caused through feeding young babies on ordinary bottled or cartoned cows milk too soon. Cows milk is made specifically for calves who are substantially larger than human babies, and have the advantage of having four stomachs to aid digestion. Protein in cows milk is different to that of breast or formula milk. The protein in cows milk forms large tough curds which are difficult for a young baby to digest. These tough curds can . cause damage and bleeding to the baby's delicate digestive system and can ultimately

lead to severe anaemia. Anaemia is a lack of red blood cells used to carry oxygen around the body. If the level of oxygen-carrying cells gets too low, heart failure can result. Sadly, this condition is not rare and as well as being dangerous to the health of young infants, can be fatal. Cows milk also contains too much salt which can affect the baby's water balance. Ideally, cows milk should not be given to babies under one year of age. For babies under one year, breast milk is best, but if a mother is unable to breast feed her baby, formula milk can be used.

Acceptable substitutes are SMA, Karitane milk powder and Nurture, all proven brands of formula milk. Formula milks are manufactured to be as near to the composition of breast milk as possible. Provided they are made up to the exact instructions on the packet, they are very safe. Formula milk can be unsafe if it is made either too weak, or too strong. If a baby is being bottle fed, the bottle must be properly sterilised by any of the following methods: - by using commercial bottle sterilising liquids such as Milton.

- by rinsing the bottles and teats well and boiling them in a large saucepan of water. (Make sure the bottle is also full of water.) - By simply washing the bottles and teats thoroughly in hot detergent water and rinsing them well in hot clean water. Clean bottles can be stored in the fridge or on the bench, covered with a clean cloth. If the baby does not finish its feed at one time, the remaining milk should be disposed of. If you are unsure about the type of milk to feed your baby, ask your local plunket or public health nurse for advice, or phone the hospital.