BABY 



529 



BABY 



any doubt about the purity of the milk it 

 should by all means be boiled. In the summer 

 babies should not be given milk that is over 

 twenty-four hours old, and in winter any that 

 is older than forty-eight hours (see MILK). 



The preparation of cow's milk for baby's use 

 is a most important matter. Since it is stronger 

 than the natural food from the mother's breast 

 it must be modified, that is, adapted to the 

 chilli's digestion. In many cases infants thrive 

 on simple dilutions of milk with boiled water, 

 to which a small quantity of sugar is added. 

 Before the baby's food is prepared, however, 

 the mother should consult a physician who is 

 experienced in infant feeding and who under- 

 stands her child's needs. She should follow 

 his directions carefully, weigh the child reg- 

 ulurly, and see that it is being properly nour- 

 ished. Babies differ considerably in the matter 

 of artificial feeding, and it is not possible to 

 give a set of directions applicable to all. 

 Bottle-fed babies are more liable to colic than 

 those fed naturally, but this disorder can 

 usually be prevented by rubbing the back of 

 the child from the end of the spine upward, 

 after each feeding. 



One cannot be too careful in regard to the 

 hygiene of artificial feeding. When the milk 

 is delivered it should be put on the ice at 

 once, for warm milk spoils easily and spoiled 

 milk means a sick baby. All utensils required 

 for preparing the food should be kept spot- 

 lessly clean, and it is a good idea to have a 

 separate set of these for the baby's use alone. 

 Round, plain bottles and plain nipples should 

 be chosen, and these should be washed after 

 each feeding. The old-fashioned bottle with 

 the long tube is a 

 breeder of disease and 

 has no place in a "bet- 

 ter baby's" equipment. 

 The food should be pre- 

 pared within twenty- 

 four hours after delivery 

 of the milk. As soon as 

 it is ready it should be 

 poured into the nursing 

 bottles, which are then 

 carefully stoppered and 

 placed on ice. I 

 bottle should hold just 

 ;uh for one feeding. 



Whin It is tlllir t< 



tin- rhild, warm the 

 milk by placing tin- 



in hot \. 

 34 



Any food left in the bottle after the child has 

 finished eating should be thrown out, as milk 

 warmed a second time is liable to be unwhole- 

 some. No child should be allowed to suck on 

 an empty bottle or to sleep with the nipple in 

 his mouth. 



In the case of healthy babies weaning is a 

 gradual process. By the twelfth month the 

 child, whether fed from the breast or from 

 the bottle, should be trained to drink from a 

 cup. At that age the average child can digest 

 undiluted milk and cereals, strained fruit 

 and plain mutton or chicken broth. During 

 the second year he gradually becomes accus- 

 tomed to solid foods, and at eighteen months 

 may be given potatoes, peas, beans, carrots 

 and' beets, if they are thoroughly cooked and 

 finely mashed. He may also have eggs, toast, 

 cooked fruit, such as baked apple or apple 

 sauce, and roasted or broiled chicken, roast 

 lamb or chops, broiled fish and roasted or 

 broiled beef. The young- child should not be 

 given candy, soda water, tea, coffee or any 

 alcoholic beverage, and he should not be per- 

 mitted to eat ice cream until he is two years 

 old. The number of bottle feedings has all 

 this time been gradually decreasing, and at 

 eighteen or twenty months the weaning is 

 completed. Throughout the period of child- 

 hood the mother should see that the child has 

 wholesome, nourishing food and is kept from 

 eating rich desserts, stimulants, and an ex- 

 cessive amount of candy. Too many sweets 

 injure both the teeth and the digestion. 



Other Suggestions. To-day's babies are more 

 comfortably dressed than those of a gen- 

 ago. The practice of swaddling the little crea- 

 tures in many layers of 

 elaborate clot ! 

 been happily outlawed. 

 A properly-dressed baby 

 has his clothing made 

 to hang from the shoul- 

 ders, and his slips, 

 dresses and wrappers 

 are one-piece garments. 

 Tiirht clothing interferes 

 with tin- cimilation. 

 breathing and digestion 

 :m<l is dmdrdly uncom- 

 fortable. It is a mis- 

 take also to put too 

 many and too heavy 

 garments on the child ; 

 if he perspires freely in 

 \\mtrr or summer he is 



