Searchlights on Health: Light on Dark Corners Part 42

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A Practical Rule for Feeding a Baby on Cow's Milk.

Cow's milk is steadily growing in favor as an artificial food. Country milk should be used instead of milk purchased in town or city.

RULE--Take the upper half of milk that has stood an hour of two, dilute, not hardly as much as a third, with sweetened water, and if there is a tendency to sour stomach, put in a teaspoonful of lime water to every quart. The milk and water should both be boiled separately. If the baby is constipated, it is best to heat the milk over boiling water and not allow it to boil.

INFANT FOOD FOR 24 HOURS.

Age of Child. Milk. Water. Total.

2 to 10 days 1-1/4 gills 3-1/4 gills 4-1/2 gills 10 to 20 days 1-3/4 gills 4-1/4 gills 6 gills 20 to 30 days 2-1/2 gills 6 gills 8-1/2 gills 1 to 1-1/2 months 3 gills 6-3/4 gills 9-3/4 gills 1-1/2 to 2 months 3-1/2 gills 7 gills 10-1/2 gills 2 to 2-1/2 months 4 gills 7-1/2 gills 11-1/2 gills 2-1/2 to 3 months 4-1/2 gills 7-1/2 gills 12 gills 3 to 3-1/2 months 5 gills 7-1/2 gills 12-1/2 gills 3-1/2 to 4 months 5-1/2 gills 7-1/2 gills 13 gills 4 to 4-1/2 months 6 gills 7-1/2 gills 13-1/2 gills 4-1/2 to 5 months 6-1/2 gills 7-1/2 gills 14 gills 5 to 6 months 7 gills 7 gills 14 gills 6-1/2 to 7 months 7-1/2 gills 6-1/2 gills 14 gills 7 to 8 months 8 gills 6 gills 14 gills 8 to 9 months 8-1/4 gills 6 gills 14-1/4 gills 9 to 10 months 8-1/2 gills 6 gills 14-1/2 gills 10 to 11 months 8-3/4 gills 6 gills 14-3/4 gills 11 to 12 months 9 gills 5-1/2 gills 14-1/2 gills 12 to 15 months 9-1/4 gills 5-1/4 gills 14-1/2 gills 15 to 18 months 9-1/2 gills 5 gills 14-1/2 gills 18 and more months 10 gills 5 gills 15 gills

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HOW TO KEEP A BABY WELL.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A delicate child should never be put into the bath, but bathed on the lap and kept warmly covered.]

1. The mother's milk is the natural food, and nothing can fully take its place.

2. The infant's stomach does not readily accommodate itself to changes in diet; therefore, regularity in quality, quant.i.ty and temperature is extremely necessary.

3. Not until a child is a year old should it be allowed any food except that of milk, and possibly a little cracker or bread, thoroughly soaked and softened.

4. Meat should never be given to very young children. The best artificial food is cream, reduced and sweetened with sugar and milk. No rule can be given for its reduction. Observation and experience must teach that, because every child's stomach is governed by a rule of its own.

5. A child can be safely weaned at one year of age, and sometimes less. It depends entirely upon the season, and upon the health of the child.

6. A child should never be weaned during the warm weather, in June, July or August.

7. When a child is weaned it may be given, in connection {320} with the milk diet, some such nourishment as broth, gruel, egg, or some prepared food.

8. A child should never be allowed to come to the table until two years of age.

9. A child should never eat much starchy food until four years old.

10. A child should have all the water it desires to drink, but it is decidedly the best to boil the water first, and allow it to cool. All the impurities and disease germs are thereby destroyed. This one thing alone will add greatly to the health and vigor of the child.

11. Where there is a tendency to bowel disorder, a little gum arabic, rice, or barley may be boiled with the drinking water.

12. If the child uses a bottle it should be kept absolutely clean. It is best to have two or three bottles, so that one will always be perfectly clean and fresh.

13. The nipple should be of black or pure rubber, and not of the white or vulcanized rubber; it should fit over the top of the bottle. No tubes should ever be used; it is impossible to keep them clean.

14. When the rubber becomes coated, a little coa.r.s.e salt will clean it.

15. Babies should be fed at regular times. They should also be put to sleep at regular hours. Regularity is one of the best safeguards to health.

16. Milk for babies and children should be from healthy cows. Milk from different cows varies, and it is always better for a child to have milk from the same cow. A farrow cow's milk is preferable, especially if the child is not very strong.

17. Many of the prepared foods advertised for children are of little benefit. A few may be good, but what is good for one child may not be for another. So it must be simply a matter of experiment if any of the advertised foods are used.

18. It is a physiological fact that an infant is always healthier and better to sleep alone. It gets better air and is not liable to suffocation.

19. A healthy child should never be fed in less than two hours from the last time they finished before, gradually lengthening the time as it grows older. At 4 months 3 or 4 hours; at 5 months a healthy child will be better if given nothing in the night except, perhaps, a little water.

20. Give an infant a little water several times a day.

21. A delicate child the first year should be oiled after each bath. The oiling may often take the place of the bath, in case of a cold.

22. In oiling a babe, use pure olive oil, and wipe off thoroughly after each application. For nouris.h.i.+ng a weak child use also olive oil.

23. For colds, coughs, croup, etc., use goose oil externally and give a teaspoonful at bed-time.

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HOW TO PRESERVE THE HEALTH AND LIFE OF YOUR INFANT DURING HOT WEATHER.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FOUND UPON THE DOOR STEP.]

_BATHING._

1. Bathe infants daily in tepid water and even twice a day in hot weather.

If delicate they should be sponged instead of immersing them in water, but cleanliness is absolutely necessary for the health of infants.

_CLOTHING._

2. Put no bands in their clothing, but make all garments to hang loosely from the shoulders, and have all their clothing _scrupulously clean_; even the diaper should not be re-used without rinsing. {322}

_SLEEP ALONE._

3. The child should in all cases sleep by itself on a cot or in a crib and retire at a regular hour. A child _always_ early taught to go to sleep without rocking or nursing is the healthier and happier for it. Begin _at birth_ and this will be easily accomplished.

_CORDIALS AND SOOTHING SYRUPS._

4. Never give cordials, soothing syrups, sleeping drops, etc., without the advice of a physician. A child that frets and does not sleep is either hungry or ill. _If ill it needs a physician._ Never give candy or cake to quiet a small child, they are sure to produce disorders of the stomach, diarrhoea or some other trouble.

_FRESH AIR._

5. Children should have plenty of fresh air summer as well as winter. Avoid the severe hot sun and the heated kitchen for infants in summer. Heat is the great destroyer of infants. In excessive hot weather feed them with chips of ice occasionally, if you have it.