First Year

It is unfortunate when mothers cannot nurse their babies for the first year. Many children get a wrong start the first year of life, and are more or less perverted, in a digestive or nutritional way, throughout life. Real mothers should have a care concerning the future of their children and be willing to make almost any personal sacrifice for their good. Mothers who are self-indulgent to the point of gluttony, or sensual in any way should know that they are building a like legacy for their children. Gluttony causes hard labors. Injuries received during hard labors lead to uterine diseases, tumors, cancer, and many derangements calling for surgery, with often negligible benefit. Leaving the mothers out of the question, children are often injured; and many are infected by the mother's milk, caused by the mother's injuries taking an a slight septic inflammation. These are the circumstances that often make artificial feeding of children necessary.

Modified Milk.--The milk of cows, goats, and mares, "modified," is the best substitute for mother's milk. Reduction by adding water is about all the modification that is necessary.

A healthy, well-cared-for cow--a common cow --is better than the Alderney or Jersey, because the milk of the latter is too fat.

Care of Milk.--Cleanliness is positively necessary. Keep the milk in clean bottles and on ice. Do not heat it above the body temperature--about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The supply for the whole day's feedings may be prepared in the morning all at one time and kept on ice until used. The mixtures of milk and water should be thoroughly shaken before a portion is taken out to be heated for a feeding.

TABLES FOR FEEDING

First Week	1 part milk, 19 parts water. 2-1/2 oz. each feeding to begin with; 4 feeds per day; 6 and 10 a.m., 2 and 6 p.m
Second Week	1 part milk, 9 parts water
Fourth Week	1 part milk, 5 parts water
Third Month	1 part milk, 3 parts water
Fourth Month	1 part milk, 1 part water

 

At the beginning of the second month, a half to one teaspoon of orange juice and water may be given preceding the 10 a. m. feeding of milk.

At the beginning of the third month, spinach, tomato, and lettuce may be run through a vegetable-mill or through a coarse sieve. A teaspoonful of this combination vegetable juice and a teaspoonful of orange juice in four to six teaspoonfuls of water may precede the 10 a. m. feeding of milk.

The fruit and vegetable juice with water preceding 10 a. m. feeding should be increased, and the amount of milk taken should be decreased, until at four to six months the milk should be dropped entirely and only the juices taken at that feeding.

At one year of age, the vegetable pulp may be taken along with the vegetable and fruit juices.

The proportions of milk and water should be adhered to as given above, but the two and a half ounces may be gradually increased as the baby shows a desire to take more. As to the rapidity of the increase, that all depends upon the condition of the baby. The best check on the amount to be taken is in watching the stools. If there are any white specks or curds appearing in the stools, the amount of the feed should be cut down; and if that does not bring results, decrease the amount of milk and increase the amount of water until the baby's toleration point is found. Then, as the baby gets back to normal, increase the proportion of milk, and also increase gradually the amount of the feed.

If the fruit and vegetable juices cause any trouble, drop them and go back to the milk feed entirely; then try it again more diluted, and increase more gradually. There are no cut-and-dried formulas which can be laid down for the care and feeding of babies. General information can be given, but each baby is a law unto itself and must have its particular needs met with proper treatment.

If all goes well, the three feedings of fifty-fifty, with the one feeding of vegetables and fruits, may be continued through the remainder of the first year.

Sugar (milk sugar), lime, and cream are added to hydrated milk by most specialists; but I never have, for I do not believe in fattening children. Why? Because there is more sickness among fat, "ideally healthy" children than among the thin and slender.

So-called "undernourished children" are sick children. Most of them once belonged to the fat brigade--King Doc's reserves--which are only brought on un-dress parade for the picture-show camera-man, and strictly for "health education."

Stockmen bring their pick to expositions to show what ideal animals are like; but they never report the mortality. The same is true of the fat-baby shows. There is no report how these little lumps of hydrocarbon fare in the next five years--how many die of "disease peculiar to" (fat) "children," how many are operated upon for enlarged tonsils and adenoids, or what percentage die from tuberculosis, rheumatic diseases, kidney disease, etc., within the next five to twenty years.