246^ 



Missouri Agriculinral Report. 



SOME RECENT ADVANCES IN INFANT FEEDING. 



(By Miss Louise Stanley, in Cliarge Home Economics, University of Missouri.) 



No one other factor is so important in the prevention of infant 

 mortality as that of infant feeding. This fact was brought out most 

 forcibly to the writer when first spending an extended period of time at 

 a Babies' Hospital. When the daily rounds were made it was noted 

 that the prescriptions M^ere mainly in form of changes in the food and 

 little medicine was given. Of course medicines were used as stimulants 

 if needed, but the use of these was nominal in comparison with the 

 greater use of dietetic changes. 



This brings dietetic, and particularly dietetics of infants, under 

 the control of the physician, and it should be insisted upon that all our 

 graduating physicians at least have an opportunity to learn something 

 of this most important science. But not only is dietetics a factor in 

 the curing of disease but to a still greater extent is it a factor in the 

 prevention of many of the most serious difficulties of infancy. 



The artificial feeding of infants is as yet in an experimental stage. 

 It is a hopeful sign, however, that it is experimental, for when we 

 realize that we do not know all about a subject then we commence to 

 make advances. It is the mother who must feed the child and its need- 

 ful that she should know some of the lines of advance in the experi- 

 mental work on infant feeding. 



AHss Stanley and Sojne of the Little Folks at a Babies' Hospital. 



First of all let us emphasize the value of natural feeding. As has 

 been brought out by the previous speaker, the child who is naturally 

 nourished has very much better chance for life. Why is this? First 



