The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-09-28
BANANAS FOR BABIES
mother writes:

mother writes:
 "I am curious to know. whether others have noticed the efficacy that nave op served from banana feeding for 1nIants. Not only do the babies thrive, but cer- tain type of eczema disappears as ;1 pS /
 magic when bananas are lntroauosu ann .o
 the diet All three of my babies had weep ing eczema With the first had dreao-
 ful time. The trouble did not seem to re- spond to any treatments prescriped py
 competent physicians. Not until the Dapy
 was fourteen months old did learn rom
 your column of the value of ripe banana
 in infant feeding. Then in very snols
 time the eczema cleared up. Wlnt the seo
 ond child the eczema appeared at the ase
 of two months. I followed your lnstruc-
 tions in feeding banana, and had the same successful results. Eczema appeared on my third baby at the age of three or 1our weeks. To the horror of my relatives "ho thought it almost infanticide 1 admins
 tered banana. Again it worked. All the children now have beautl1ul shlhs Ale ouenly commented upon by strangers. or course in the case of the last baby gave only minute quantities of well rlpened pa mana pulp and at intervals of several days' But it always agreed with her perfectly
 In the Brady Baby Book, copy of which Will be mailed on request if you inclose dime ana a stamped envelope bearing your address, advise
 At the age of four months begin feed ing the baby banana Be sure the banana is quite ripe At first glve only
 a spoonful or less day Whether banana feeding will cure infantile eczema I don't know. Perhaps other mothers of young infants so afflicted will try 1t out ana tell us whether it is as efficacous as the cor respondent believes.
 trying state of undernutrition in infants and young children, variously called chrome intestinal indigestion, celiac disease Inarasmus. malnutriton, often responds remarkably well to a liberal allowance of ripe banana.
 Perhaps there is no other remedy so valu- able in the treatment of the constipation or all ternating constipation and diarrhea, associated with the condition above mentioned.
 For some unknown reason there is a popular ular prejudice against banana as food Tor infants or children. Probably this prejudice Is due to the unpalatabity and the unsuitability of green banana. All bananas are harvested while green and shipped before they are ripe Only when the banana is thoroughly ripened is it really paatabe and digestible as 1t is nutritious. When a banana is ripe enough to feed baby the skin is brown with some spots still golden yellow; the pulp is soft but not mushy If the skin is not quite brown 1t IS not yet ripe enough If banana is used when the skin is only yellow, it should be boiled or baked for feeding infant or invalid. But if fed raw. With ripening, the starch in banana is converted to sugar, and this change is not complete until the banana skin is golden vel tow fecked with brown spots, or almost en' tirely brown. Of course the black marks from bruises should be distinguished from the brown spots of ripening.
 The excellent results from feeding banana to puny malnourished infants and children are probably in part due to the vitamins GA, B, C., E, and even limited quantity of D) in this nourishing, strengthening food.