588 MILK 



be produced under the best conditions possible. Utmost clean- 

 liness in every particular cannot be emphasized too strongly. 

 The cows should be kept clean and well fed; the milk receptacles 

 should be chemically clean and bacteriologically sterile, and the 

 milk should not be allowed to stand too long before it is delivered 

 to the consumer. It is best to give a baby milk which is a mixture 

 of several breeds of cows, as it has been foimd that different breeds 

 produce milk of a different composition. Holstein cows, for in- 

 stance, produce milk that has a smaller percentage of fat than 

 that given off by Jersey or Guernsey cows. 



It is absolutely necessary that the cows from which milk for 

 baby is taken be free from tuberculosis. The routine tuberculin, 

 tests made on cows in this country and abroad have done a great 

 deal to diminish intestinal tuberculosis in infancy, although one 

 of the greatest factors in the decrease of intestinal tuberculosis in 

 infants has been the use of boiled milk in infant feeding. 



There are various rules for the quantity of milk to be given the 

 child, both the quantity to be given at each feeding and the 

 entire amount to be given in twenty-fom- hours. The rule of 

 giving a child at one feeding 2 ounces more than his age in months 

 is a good and simple one. For instance, a child two months of 

 age should receive 4 ounces of the proper mixture at each feed- 

 ing; a child of five months, 7 ounces; a child of six months, 8 ounces; 

 8 ounces of a milk mixture at one feeding should be the maximimi. 

 If more calories are needed the child should receive additional 

 carbohydrate or other forms of food to make up the necessary 

 caloric requirement. Budin's rule of giving milk to the amount 

 of one-tenth of the body weight works out quite well. According 

 to Budin an infant that weighs 10 pounds should receive the 

 equivalent of 1 pound a day, or 1 pint of milk, properly diluted 

 in twenty-four hours. Interpreted a little differently, an infant 

 may receive daily 1| to 1| ounces of milk for every pound of body 

 weight. This rule of giving 1| ounces of milk per pound of weight 

 has also been found to be of great assistance. 



The length of time that a baby should be at the breast is a 

 matter that calls for consideration. Some babies nurse for a few 

 minutes, fall asleep, and then nurse again in half an hour or so. 

 Other babies nurse for thirty to forty minutes at a time and then 

 vomit. Of course, neither of the two extremes should be per- 

 mitted. Fifteen to twenty minutes at the breast should suffice to 

 supply the baby with the amount of nourishment it requires. 



The intervals elapsing between feedings form an important 

 factor in the feeding of an infant. Many mothers are inclined 

 to nurse their babies entirely too often. Experience has shown 

 that an interval of three to four hours between feedings is much 



