986 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



for the demand upon the mother by the child. The baby is bom with 

 bones and muscles; blood vessels and nerves; with a supply of iron stored 

 in its body sufficient to make good for the first year the deficiency of iron 

 in milk. All the materials used for this growth and for storing are drawn 

 from the blood stream of the mother. While the actual amount of tissue 

 built into the body of the baby during the nine prenatal months is not 

 very large it is very important. If the food of the mother lacks greatly 

 in anything, or if her health is such as to interfere with right assimilation 

 of food, both mother and child may suffer. When the growth or develop- 

 ment is stunted by malnutrition before birth, no subsequent care will 

 completely overcome the bad results. If the defects in diet are slight, 

 the development of the child will probably not be interfered with, but the 

 mother may suffer. The rule is that nature cares most for the new gener- 

 ation and will protect the child at the expense of the mother. The supply 

 of food needed for the child's development will be drawn from the mother.'s 

 blood even at a considerable cost to her. If the diet is very poor or the 

 defect in nutrition is very great both mother and child suffer. 



Food for the mother. — Protein, so essential for the growth of the new 

 organism, is best included in the form of milk and eggs, or some well- 

 cooked vegetable protein food as legumes and cereals. Meat should be 

 eaten in but limited amounts since it increases the work of the kidneys 

 and they should be spared as much as possible at this period. In removing 

 meat from the diet one source of iron is withdrawn. Eggs, green vege- 

 tables and legumes will more than make good the amount withdrawn. 



Fats should be eaten only in such amounts as may easily be borne. 

 Fat as it occurs in cream, milk and eggs is better than fat in meats, in 

 rich pastries or fried food, since the latter form is less easy to digest. The 

 digestive organs are doing double duty and should not be overtaxed. 

 Besides this, the organs of digestion are often somewhat crowded and 

 have not their normal ability. 



Sugars and starches should be eaten as they occur in cereals, legumes, 

 nuts, fruits and vegetables, for in this form not only the energy of these 

 two food-stuffs is supplied but other substances needed in the diet are 

 increased, particularly mineral matter and bulky material. 



Mineral matter. — There should be an abundance of mineral matter at 

 this as at all times, iron for red corpuscles, phosphorus to stimulate growth, 

 lime for bones. This will be supplied by a diet rich in fruits and vege- 

 tables, milk and eggs. Frequently the diet lacks some one element of 

 mineral matter, as iron or lime, or it may lack mineral matter as a whole. 

 Anaemia, decayed teeth, or derangement of the whole system may result, 

 and the results of such diet are more than ever emphasized at this 

 time. 



