Mother's Remedies Part 153

What signs in the infant demand an increase? The infant is not satisfied, does not gain in weight, but it has good digestion--that is, it does not vomit and has good stools.

When should I not increase the food? So long as the child is satisfied, gains four to six ounces weekly, even when the quant.i.ty and strength of the food is considerably below the average.

Should you then increase the food if the child seems somewhat hungry, but still gains from eight to ten ounces weekly? It is not always a safe rule to be guided by the appet.i.te.

How can I know whether to increase the strength or the quant.i.ty of the food? In the early weeks it is well first to increase the strength, the next time the quant.i.ty of the food, then the strength, then the quant.i.ty, etc. The quant.i.ty chiefly should be increased after the fourth or fifth month.

Should a slight stomach discomfort or disturbance follow after the food has been strengthened, what shall I do? If the disturbance is marked and continues and the infant does not seem able to accustom itself to the new food, you should go back to the weaker one and the next increase should be smaller.

Should I be worried if the gain in weight for the first few weeks of artificial feeding is slight, or even no gain? Not as a rule; if the infant loses no weight, sleeps well, is comfortable, does not suffer from vomiting, nausea, colic, you can feel sure the baby is doing well and is becoming used to his new food. As his appet.i.te improves and his digestion is stronger the food may be increased every few days. Then the weight will soon increase.

Is constipation likely to occur from such a weak food? This is very often seen owing to the fact of their being little residue in the bowels, so if he has a daily stool, even if it is small and dry, it need not cause worry as it soon pa.s.ses away with the using of stronger food.

What circ.u.mstances indicate that the food should be reduced? When the child becomes ill from any causes, or when there are any marked symptoms of indigestion.

How can I reduce the food? If there is but a slight disturbance and the daily food has been prepared, pour off one-third from each bottle just before each feeding and replace this quant.i.ty of food with boiled water; if the disturbance is more severe, immediately dilute the food at least one-half and also reduce, at the same time the quant.i.ty given; for a severe attack of indigestion, omit the regular food altogether and give only boiled water until a doctor has been called.

How shall I return to the original formula after it has been reduced for a disturbance of digestion? The increase must be very gradual after the immediate reduction. After a severe attack of indigestion, the milk should not be made more than one-fifth the original strength, and ten days or two weeks should elapse before the original strength food is given and, as stated, there should be a gradual slow increase.

[586 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

ABOUT ADDING OTHER FOODS TO MILK.

How long shall I continue the modified milk? Usually for about six months; but if the infant is doing well you can continue it for ten or eleven months. If the infant has trouble in digesting cows' milk other foods can be added at three or four months or even at the beginning.

What food can I first use? Barley, oatmeal, arrowroot, and farina.

Is it better to make them from the flour? Yes, they are more simple to prepare from the flour.

How shall I cook them? Cook them separately, and when used they take the place of some of the boiled water.

(For another way, see former pages.)

How shall I prepare barley gruel water? Take one teaspoonful of the flour and rub it up with a little cold water, and then stir this into a pint of boiling water; add a pinch of salt and boil it fifteen minutes; strain if it is lumpy. Oatmeal gruel is made the same way, only using two teaspoonfuls instead of one.

Barley Jelly.--One rounded tablespoonful of the flour, mixed with a little cold water, is added to one pint of boiling water containing a pinch of salt; cook twenty minutes in a double boiler and strain. A thinner gruel (barley water) is made by using half of the quant.i.ty of flour.

How much of the gruel can I use? If prepared by the last method one-sixth to one-half the total quant.i.ty of food; if the barley water is used it can be used in greater quant.i.ty if desired, as it is weaker by half.

Which one shall I use? Barley and oatmeal are generally used; oatmeal is more laxative.

What is their value as infant foods? Their chief value is to prevent the curd from coagulating in the stomach in hard ma.s.ses, thus rendering it more digestible.

Would you advise this addition for all infants? No, for it does not agree with them all, and so it cannot be recommended for all infants.

Can I give anything more during the first year? Beef juice, white of an egg, and orange juice.

How and when may I use the beef juice? It may be begun at ten or eleven months in infants who are strong and thriving well. Two teaspoonfuls may be given daily, diluted with same amount of water, fifteen minutes before the midday feeding; in two weeks it may be doubled; and six teaspoonfuls can be given, in four weeks. Two or three tablespoonfuls is all that can be given a child of one year.

[ALL ABOUT BABY 587]

Is beef juice of value in delicate pale infants? Yes, of much value, and it is more important for them, and it may sometimes be given them at five or six months in one-half the quant.i.ty mentioned.

When shall I give the white of egg (alb.u.men) or alb.u.min water? When the conditions are similar to those requiring beef juice especially in infants who digest the proteids (curd) with difficulty. You can give the one-half of the white of one egg at six months, and soon the entire white of one egg can be given.

What is the best way of preparing this? By coddling the egg.

Describe the way of preparation? Place a fresh egg with the sh.e.l.l on in boiling water and immediately remove all from the fire. The egg cooks slowly in the water for seven or eight minutes as the water gradually cools, and the white part becomes like jelly. Give the white with only a pinch of salt--it can be easily separated from the yolk.

When can I give orange juice? Usually about the eleventh or twelfth month, and it should be given about one hour before the feeding. You can begin with two teaspoonfuls at first, then one tablespoonful at a time, and later three or four tablespoonfuls. Orange juice is very good when constipation exists--strain it always, and it must be always fresh and sweet.

OVER NURSING.

Mothers who have a very large supply of milk are very likely to overfeed their babies if the milk is of good quality. This will drain the mother's strength. Some mothers allow their babies to nurse to relieve the uncomfortable feeling. If the infant vomits the surplus immediately they are not injured. Where the baby does not vomit, the surplus food pa.s.ses into the bowels and causes colic and green and yellow ga.s.sy stools. If the mother's milk is too rich, only, and not too much and the baby vomits, this can be corrected by giving the baby some boiled water before each meal. The baby will not nurse so much then.

OVER-FEEDING.

What do you mean by this term? The infant gets too much food, and this is chiefly done at night.

Can I depend upon the infant's natural desire for food as to the quant.i.ty to be given? Not always, the habit of over-eating is frequently acquired, and is frequently seen in infants with a good digestion.

What harm results from over-feeding an infant? The food lies in the stomach or bowels, undigested, ferments, and causes gas and colic, and if the over-feeding is long continued, serious trouble arises. The baby becomes restless, fretful, irritable, sleeps badly, stops gaining weight and may lose weight.

[588 MOTHERS' REMEDIES ]

LOSS OF APPEt.i.tE.

What may cause this? Over-feeding or the use of milk too rich in fat.

What can I do for this trouble? If the child is well, offer food to him at regular hours only. Do not coax or force him to eat even though he takes only one-half or one-third of his usual quant.i.ty. Lengthen the intervals between the feedings. It may be necessary with a child under a year old to reduce the number of feedings to three or four in twenty-four hours. Give water at more frequent intervals, weaken instead of strengthening the food.

FOODS FOR SPECIAL CONDITIONS.

Some infants with weak digestive powers, and those suffering from various forms of indigestion, have often much trouble in digesting the fat of milk. To meet such troubles a series of formulas are given obtained from plain milk.

FOURTH SERIES-Formulas containing four per cent fat: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Plain Milk 5 oz. 6 oz. 7 oz. 8 oz. 9 oz. 10 oz. 12 oz. 14 oz.

*Milk Sugar 1 oz 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz 3/4 oz. 3/4 oz. 1/2 oz. 1/2 oz.

Lime-water 1 oz. l oz. 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz.

Boiled water 14 oz. 13 oz. 12 oz. 7 oz. 6 oz. 5 oz. 2 oz. 0 oz.

Barley Gruel. 0 oz. 0 oz. 0 oz. 4 oz. 4 oz. 4 oz. 5 oz. 5 oz.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz.