Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-19
WHEN TO FEED THE BABY


Regularity in feeding plays no small
part in the well-beng of the child,
since thereby its appetite and diges-
tion are kept at their best To effect
this a schedule should be arranged,
beginning at or a. M, and the meals
given upon the minute throughout the
day, even though this involves arous-
ing a sleeping lion. At night how
ever, if a baby wakens hungry at
times at slight variance from the nurs-
ing hour, it is better to feed it at once
rather than permit it to arouse itself
thoroughly by crying. With this ex-
ception nothing should ever persuade
a mother to feed her baby oftener
than the prescribed interval, with the
idea that it Graves food. The correc-
ton of this condition lies only in
change in the quality or quantity OF
the milk mixture and upon the testl-
mony of the scales.
There are many interpretations other
than hunger to be put upon baby's
cry. He may be too hot, too cold,
distressed by his clothing or his posi-
tion, in pain. dispeased or thirsty.
How seldom this last possibility is con-
sidered is surprising. yet an ounce or
two of cool drink will curtail many
CRYING fit. Water should be given
freely from bottle, cup or spoon be-
tween some feelings at all seasons.
and with special regularity in times OF
excessive heat and when the number
of feelings becomes less frequent
After the end of the fourth month the
child should be trained to fast from lU
O'Clock at night to in the morning
The early difficulties of this may pe
overcome by at first substituting 1or
the usual night feeding a greatly di-
luted milk mixture, replacing this IN
n few days by a bottle of plain water.
The baby soon discovers that thls
offering is not worth waking for
About the seventh month it Is ad-
vantageous to begin using a cereai
water as a dilutent of the milk NIX
ture. This we'll and sufficiently meets
the awakening capacity for starch dl-
gestion. and also adds something 10
the nutritive properties of the feed
ings Prior to this age the pancreatlc
iuice and the saliva, the function OF
which is to digest starch, are put Httle
developed and the demand FOR carpo-
hydrates is supplied the system III
the form of sugar. With the power
rresent to convert starch into sugar for
his own use we replace one-hat OF
the water used in the baby's food WIN
harley water, or by oatmeal water IL
a laxative effect is desired. IN
month or two the amount OF these
cereal dilutents is to be advanced py
making them OF Sredteh 81
rather than by increasing the quantiWiy, ny
when the baby is II months OLD the
milk dilution is so slight that not
enough of the cereal can be gwen
through that channel. and one feeolng
a day of oatmeal or barley jelly Is
therefore prepared, to supply % tnis
lack, One tablespoonful of the Jelly
iiouefied by the contents of the reg
Mar bottle constitute the meal, whlcn
NAV be given from a spoon. cup ,t, oI
from a bottle by using a nipple VIII VIII
an enlarged outlet At the twelItnn II
month four teaspoonfuls of pressed
beef Juice, salted, should precede an
other of the bottle feelings or pc
nixed with the milk in the bottle;
When the first birthday has arrived
the habv will thus have progresses, !,
stem by step through stronger anu anu
stronger milk formulas until ne WI W
he taking whole milk save Tor tne @
iimewater, one Tablespoonful OF WI, Wnicn
20 eight ounces of milk should sun pe
odded for some months. He VIII nav
one cereal meal and one with peel
iuice daily. UP to this point any
other ott~ addition to the diet is not per
missible. The "just taste OF tap1e ot
food in these months is a source M oi
amusement and pride for the pareil.s.'
b,t is far from a safe and innocent
aversion for the baby.-Exchange'