Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-21
Proprietary Foods.

In this series Of articles the mother
has been continually urged to remem-
Der that there is nothing else SO I'M
portant to the baby's healthy develop
ment as that he shall be properly fed
This means that he should have the
right kind Of food. in suitable amounts
at regular intervals. with nothing be-
tween meals except plenty of pure, cool
drinking water.
The right kinds of food are breast
milk throughout the first nine or ten
months. with a little fruit Juice. After
weaving from the breast. the principal
food will be fresh, clean cows milk,
diluted with thin cereal gruels. Stil
later. various solid foods are gradually
added to the diet in small amounts, as
advised in former articles of this series
The mother has also been warned of
the szecial dangers surrounding the
baby in hot weather. and has been
urged not to overfeed the baby at any
time, nor to give him anything except
these simple articles of food, for fear
Of bringing on an attack OF summer
In addition to these rules for con-
serving the babys healta nho .ne the e' Hsr
rious '.infant foods" which are on sale
everywhere. and which are so widely
advertised throughout the country:
These patent or pro oIasses nam 1ooIs
condensed milks and cereal FOODS Con-
densed milk may be sweetened or un-
sweetened. In addition. there are dried
and evaporated milks.
The cereal foods are Of two principal
classes. namely, those intended to be
mixed with milk and water and those
intended to be mixed with water only
Most of these foods contain large
amounts of starch and sugar IN Varl-
This latter statement gives no ground
for the objection which may be made In
general against the use OF all cereal
proprietary foods alone: without the
is that they are not. like fresh milk,
complete foods, since they have an ex-
cess of one food element and q CORE
spending deficiency Of others. This OBJ
lection does not apply to the use OF
the mobilization Of cows milk. just as
any other form Of sugar or starch may
Tho second general objection to these
foods IL that they are expensive and
The third objection to their general
and frequent use. without milk. is that
they give the mother oftentimes a
thus fed often seem to thrive very well.
Both starch and sugar are fat-making
foods. and the baby is very apt to grow
fat on such a diet and to look the pic
have been gained at the expense Of
other things. Too many such babies
later show a lack of healthy growth of
bones and muscle. or later develop
some other form Of bodily weakness
due to a deficient diet in the early
montha Of his life
Milk supplies all the essential food
elements-fats, proteids. sugars and
starches, mineral salts and water-and
can digest which will do this. conse-
quently. 1t Is safe rule that when
clean. fresh cows milk can be had. 1t
10, after breast milk, the best food for
the baby. Such milk Is to be supple
binary cereal gruels and other foods as
already directed.
Under special circumstances the tenn
porary use Of one or another of the in
cling In hot countries. or in other sit
uations where fresh milk cannot be
had. condensed milk may be used for
the time being. In certain cases of
sickness a physician may prescribe one
Of tho cereal foods to be used alone
for q short period, but in all such cases
possible.
Under ordinary circumstances it is
most unwise for tho mother to make
experiments in feeding her baby with
any OF these things, and It 10 q safe
guide to stick to the simple rules in
feeding which have been formulated
by physicians whose experience has in
cluded thousands of cases.
Mothers everywhere are invited to
send their names and addresses on a
post card to the chief of the children's
bureau. United States Department of
Labor Washin1ton D. c.. asking for