Mother's Remedies Part 154

*(Milk sugar is not counted in totals.) If more than twenty ounces are needed get the proportions by adding one-fourth, one-half, three-quarters, or double each ingredient.

Why does an infant so often vomit some of its food soon after feeding? The quant.i.ty may be too large or too rich food, the baby may feed too fast, the hole in the nipple may be too large, the clothing too tight, or you may press upon its stomach in moving the baby.

What are the causes of and changes needed for stomach troubles? It is usually a symptom of indigestion and is frequently caused by too much fat or sugar.

How can I remedy this? Reduce the fat or sugar, and increase the lime-water. Avoid the formulas made from the top-milk, or cream and milk.

Those made from the seven per cent milk are not so likely to cause trouble; but you had better, if the symptoms are severe, use formulas of the fourth series.

What symptoms indicate that the baby is getting too much fat (cream)?

Vomiting and yellow, foul, greasy, or ropy stools.

How much shall I reduce the milk sugar? Use only one-half ounce to twenty ounces of food or leave it out altogether.

How shall I know when to reduce the sugar, etc.? When there is excessive formation of gas in the stomach, causing distention and pain, or belchings of gas, and often a sour stomach. Reduce the amount of sugar and increase the lime-water one and one-half to two ounces in twenty ounces of food, increase intervals between the meats one-half hour and give less quant.i.ty.

[ALL ABOUT BABY 589]

What food usually causes habitual colic? This is due to gas acc.u.mulating in the bowels, and is usually caused by the want of digestion of the proteids (curd).

How shall I overcome this? Use a weaker formula. Use formula 4 or 3 of first series; or use partially pasteurized milk, or use barley water instead of plain water.

If curds regularly or frequently appear in the stools, what changes shall I make? This usually accompanies colic, so use means just described--reduce the proteids (skim milk).

How shall I modify the milk for chronic constipation? This is difficult to overcome, and it is more frequent when infants are fed upon a plain milk diet, variously diluted, than when seven or ten per cent milk is used and diluted to a greater degree. But you cannot use food containing more than four per cent fat, that is, eight ounces of ten per cent milk or twelve ounces of seven per cent milk in twenty ounces of food. In some cases ordinary brown sugar in one-half the quant.i.ty can take the place of milk sugar, or Mellin's food, malted milk or cereal milk can be used in the place of the milk sugar. Milk of magnesia can be used for lime-water as before directed. Orange juice can be given to infants over nine months old.

What modifications should I make in very hot weather? The proportion of fat (top-milk or milk and cream mixed) should be less and when it is very hot, for a short period, it should be much less. Use seven per cent milk in place of ten per cent, that is, formulas from the second series, or plain milk, in place of the seven per cent milk, fourth series.

If a child has good digestion, but gains very little or no weight, what changes in the food should I make? Increase the quant.i.ty of the food if the child seems hungry; or increase the strength of the food, if the child will not take a greater quant.i.ty; do not coax or force the baby to eat, give him more sleep; fresh air, etc.

If there is no modified milk that will agree with the baby, what shall I do? If the infant is under four or five months old, a wet nurse would likely succeed. If a wet nurse cannot be obtained or if the child is older use some of the subst.i.tutes for cows' milk, like Borden's Eagle Brand, canned or condensed milk. This is better to use when the trouble is in the bowels and shows colic, gas, curds in the stools, constipation, or diarrhea. If it is due to indigestion it shows in vomiting, etc.

How shall I use condensed milk? The directions are on the bottle. But if the baby is three or four months old, and has symptoms of indigestion, dilute its food with sixteen parts of boiled water, or sometimes barley water if there is no constipation. As the symptoms improve it can be made stronger, one to fourteen, one to twelve one to ten, one to eight, such changes to be made gradually.

[590 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

How long can I use the condensed milk? Generally for a few weeks only as the sole food, then give one feeding a day of modified milk, for instance, No. 3 or 4 of the series; later two feedings and gradually increase until the milk feeding is entirely used.

Why can I not continue to use condensed milk? It is very low in fat and proteids and has much sugar in it; children who take this food for sometime often gain rapidly in strength and weight, yet have not much resistance, and they are very p.r.o.ne to develop rickets and scurvy.

Suppose baby is teething, has a cold, sore throat, etc., what change shall I make? Dilute the food for two or three feedings by using boiled water in place of an ounce or two of food; this much to be removed from the bottle before being given; if it is necessary to continue for several days, use a weaker formula.

What changes shall I make in this for serious acute sickness? For, diseases with fever like measles, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc., dilute the food and reduce the fat (cream from top-milk). Give the food at regular intervals, but not so often. Do not force food in the early part of acute sickness.

Suppose baby has acute gastritis, what changes shall I make? Stop all food and give boiled water, only, for ten or more hours, then try barley water or whey, but do not give any milk for at least twenty-four hours after all vomiting has ceased. When you again begin the modified milk use a small quant.i.ty with a low proportion of fat, and you can secure this by using a formula from the fourth series. You may also double the proportion of lime-water.

If baby is attacked with intestinal indigestion accompanied by loose bowels, what food shall I give? If it has but two or three pa.s.sages daily, lower the proportion of fat (cream, etc.), in the manner above directed, and boil the milk for five minutes. Dilute it still more if curds are present in the stools.

But suppose the attack is more severe? If there is fever and the pa.s.sages smell badly and are more frequent, stop all milk and use the diet given for acute gastritis. (Acute indigestion).

Do other conditions besides the food influence digestion? Yes, use proper clothing, keep warm feet, regular habits, fresh air. Clean bottles and food, given at proper intervals and temperature, quiet surroundings and absence of excitement are needed.

What common mistakes are often made in modifying milk and feeding infants?

Never fail to follow the directions given for removing the top-milk.

Remove all the top-milk of any given strength in making a formula, and not only the number of ounces needed for the formula. By using rich Jersey milk as if it were more common milk. The formulas given are based upon about four per cent fat. Food is very often increased too rapidly, particularly after stomach and bowel indigestion. The food in an infant of three or four months old attacked by acute indigestion should seldom be given in full strength for two weeks afterwards, only half steps should be taken like two to two and one-half, etc. Another mistake, when indigestion symptoms show the food is not reduced quickly enough; reduce the food immediately by at least one-half.

[ALL ABOUT BABY 591]

How to prepare cows' milk at home; what is needed? Feeding bottles, rubber nipples, an eight-ounce graduated measuring gla.s.s, a gla.s.s funnel, a brush for bottles, cotton, alcohol lamp, a tall quart cup for warming bottles of milk, a pitcher for mixing food, a wide mouthed bottle of boric acid and one of bicarbonate of soda, a pasteurizer, and later a double boiler for cooking cereals will be needed.

What kind of bottles shall I buy? A cylindrical graduated bottle with a wide neck holding about 8 ounces. This makes washing them easier. You should have as many bottles for use as the baby takes meals a day (ten at first).

How shall I care for the bottles? Rinse them, as soon as the child is through nursing, with cold water, and let stand filled with cold water and a little bicarbonate of soda in the water. Before using them again wash them thoroughly with the bottle brush and hot soap suds and place them for twenty minutes in boiling water.

What kind of nipples are best? Straight ones which slip over the neck of the bottle, of black rubber, and the hole should only be large enough for the milk to drop rapidly when the bottle is held upside down.

How shall I care for the nipples? Boil new ones for five minutes at first.

After using rinse them carefully in cold water and keep them covered in a gla.s.s containing a solution of borax or boric acid. Turn them inside out once a day and wash thoroughly with soap and water.

(There is a slight difference in the directions given by different authorities as to cleaning bottles and nipples, but the general way is the same.)

What kind of cotton shall I use for corking the bottles? Refined non-absorbent cotton is best, but the ordinary absorbent cotton will do.

Which is the best--an alcohol lamp, or the Bunsen burner? The Bunsen burner is the best, cheaper and simpler if there is gas in the house.

Should you use the lamp, put it upon a table covered with a plate of zinc or tin, or upon a large tin tray. The French pattern is the best.

Give special directions now for preparing the food according to any of the given formulas? The hands must be clean, as well as everything else--food and utensils. First dissolve the milk sugar in boiling water, filtering, if necessary, then add to the boiled water and sugar the milk, cream, and lime-water, mixing all in the pitcher; a sufficient quant.i.ty for twenty-four hours is always prepared at one time. Divide this in equal quant.i.ties into the number of feedings for the twenty-four hours and cork the bottles with the cotton cork and cool the bottles rapidly, after having been pasteurized by standing first in tepid and then in cold water, and then place in an ice chest at 50 degrees F.

[592 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

FEEDING DIRECTIONS.

How shall I prepare the bottle at feeding time? Take one from the ice chest, warm it by placing it in warm water deep enough to cover the milk in the bottle. Then thoroughly shake it, remove the cotton cork, and adjust the nipple.

How shall I know that the temperature of the milk is correct? Pour a teaspoonful from the bottle before adjusting the nipple, and taste it, or pour a few drops through the nipple upon the inner surface of the wrist.

It should feel quite warm, but not quite hot; or a baby thermometer may be placed in the water where the milk stands, and the temperature should be between 98 and 100 degrees F.

How can I keep the milk warm while the baby is feeding? Slip over the bottle a warm flannel bag with a draw-string.

What position should a child be in when feeding? During the first few months, except at night, it had better be held in the arms; later it can lie on its side in the crib, but the bottle must then be held by the nurse until it is emptied, or the baby will nurse and sleep, and nurse and sleep, etc.

How much time shall I give the baby for one feeding? Not longer than twenty minutes. Take the bottle away then and do not give it until the next feeding. Keep a sleepy baby awake, when well, until the food is taken, or remove the bottle.

Can I play with the baby after feeding? Never. It may cause vomiting and indigestion. Baby should lie quietly and sleep if possible, or at least not be disturbed.

FEEDING INTERVALS.