The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1912-06-07
FEEDING CHILDREN
SHOULD Be TAUGHT
GEORGIA State Board of Health Stress
es Importance of Proper Fcod
in Prevention Of Disease.

Atlanta, Ca, June 25.-(SpeciaL)-
The subject of the proper feeding of
young children should be an impera-
tive part OF the curriculum of every
college and training school where
young women are taught, says the
Georgia State Board of Health. There
is no knowledge more essential to the
proper preservation Of the race, the
board points out, because proper feed
ing not only prevents diseases that
are often fatal, but puts the child in
a healthy condition, enabling it the
better to withstand disease attacks.
1t is in summer that the greatest
amount of care must be exercised in
feeding the child, because it is in hot
weather that the greater number of
children die as the result of some
form of bowel trouble due to improper
feeding which may be of several
kinds. The child may have the wrong
food; the quality may be too strong
for It's age, or it may be given too
much food.
Mothers should always nurse their
children where they possibly can, for
the mothers milk is a perfect food
for the child up to nine or ten months.
Unfortunately, however, more moth
ers than formerly are unable to nurse
their children, and sometimes the
owl
the child so that more frequent re-
sort must be had to artificial feeding
tor which the best thing oDrainable is
modified cows milk gwen from bot
tie. Artificial foods offered in the
market may seem to do we'll for
time, but often lead to troubles indl-
Gated in the beginning by peevlshness
and IretfulnesS OF the cnllu.
In artificial Feeding select the milk
from a good, healthy COW, preferably
one of the ordinary mixed breeds, as
that of the blooded Jerseys and Al
derneys is generally too rich in fats.
Still the use OF the whole milk would
give a much less percentage OF fats
than is needed, and for this reason
modified for feeding infants should
be made from the upper third OF the
milk after 1t has been allowed to
stand in the refrigerator not less than
four hours. Thus there is used
larger proportion of the cream with
less amount of the other constituents.
This then must tie diluted with boiled
water in order to make the amount OF
albuminous material given the child
more nearly approximate that OF
mothers milk, and a small amount
of lime water should be added in or
der 10 neutrallZe the excessive acid
ity.
Tables have been prepared showing
just what proportions of this upper
third OF the milk, containing ten per
cent. of fat, boiled water and lime
water should be used in making the
modified milk suitable for children's
food. 1t is better that these proper
tions be secured from a physician,
preferably one who has made spe-
cial study of the treatment Of chill
dren.
The utmost care should always be
used in handling the milk from which
tRis food is to be prepared, and when
prepared it should be sealed and re-
turned to the refrigerator where it
should be kept until required for feed
ing. 1t is best not to use milk which
has been in the refrigerator more
than twenty-four hours, or at most
forty-eight hours, and then only il
kept at proper temperature. The mod
flied milk should be poured direct
from the receptacle in which it is
kept into the feeding bottle, and the
latter should be placed in warm wa
ter until the milk is milk warm"
when it is ready to be given to the
child.
Cleanliness in everything connect
ed with the feeding of the child is OF
the utmost Importance. Bottles and
nipples should be boiled after using
and then kept in saturated solution
of boracic acid. The nipple, after be-
ing cleansed should come into con-
tact with nothing but the infants
mouth. Bottles with no neck are pre-
ferable because they can be more
easily cleansed.
During very warm weather modi
fed milk made from the upper third
of the milk may be found too strong,
and it is well to reduce the amount
of fat by using the whole milk in
stead of the richer portion. This pre-
caution should always be taken in
cases where children have acute dis
should be less than under ordinary
circumstances.
The amount of food given should
always be reduced in very hot wealth
er, even in the case of very healthy
children. Often when a child is fret
full in hot weather, it is only thirsty,
and mothers often make the mistake
of thinking it hungry and giving more
food, whereas the quantity of food
should be diminished and more water
given.
Pasteurized milk is often given dur
ing epidemics of bowel troubles and
fever, and peptonized milk is some
times given children who fail to
thrive where all other precautions
have been taken. These should be
prepared and given only by the di-
rection of physician.
After the first year as the child is
weaHed other food should be gradu-
ally added. 1t should skill consist
largely of milk to which sometime la
ter there may be added gruels prepar-
ed from well cooked coats or barley,
beef-juice or the white of an egg
slightly cooked. The various broths
may also be given. Children relish
very much all fruit juices and these