The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-18
INFANT HEALTH
And FOOD HAVE
CLOSE AFFINITY
Even Diet of Mother Before
Baby Arrives Held
important.
BY ELLA OPPENHETMER. M. d.

Chiidren's Bureau, U. S. Department of
Labor
Today probably as never be-
fore we realize that there is a close
relationship between food and the
health and growth of babies.
We know that "just food" to salts
fly hunger is not enough-certain
protective qualities are essential in
the food a baby gets in order that
he may grow vigorously and be free
from nutritional disturbances such
as ricketts,, scurvey and anemia.
We know, moreover, that food
may be the bearer of disease germs
which are dangerous to the life of
the baby unless special and con-
SiStent effort is made to keep it
free from such germs.
Feeding the baby properly, there
fore, means providing him with the
foods necessary for his best growth
and development, uncontaminated
by disease germs.
How much of a particular food
should be given to a baby, at what
age to add new foods, and how to
prepare them, are things which
each individual mother has to learn
according to the needs of her own
baby.
Certain general principles can be
laid down for the feeding of the
normal child, but since no two
babies are alike the food needs of
each baby have to be determined by
his physical condition and the way
in which he is growing.
1t is for this reason that wher-
ever possible mothers are urged to
consult their physicians regularly
regarding the care and feeding of
their babies
Affected Before Birth
The baby's feeding really begins
long before he is born. During this
period before birth the mother OBJ
viously is the source of his nourish-
ment, and, as is we'll known, she
provides him with growth materials
often at the expense of her own vi
tally, especially when her own diet
is insufficient to provide adequately
for both mother and child.
The mothers diet, therefore, be-
fore the baby comes is of great i'm
portance for the we'll being of the
baby for several reasons.
If it is inadequate, her vitality
may be depleted, and her ability to
produce good breast milk may be
leSSened. Moreover, it is well known
that before birth certain sub
stances are stored in the babys
body as a reserve to be drawn on
during the first year of life, par
ticularly the early MONTHS, when the
baby's diet is necessarily limited be-
cause of his digestive capacity.
Iron and some of the vitamins are
examples of this. These reserves
come from the mother, and the
adequacy of her diet is an impor-
tant thought not the only factor, in
providing them in adequate
amounts for the baby.
Mothers Milk Best
In spite of advances in recent
years which have made artificial
feeding, properly given, relatively
safe, mothers milk, when the
mother is healthy, still remains the
best and simplest and safest food
for the first or months of life.
Although mothers milk generally
provides more protection against
So-called deficiency diseases than
cows milk. we do not feel that it
is safe to rely on it alone; even
the breaSt-fed baby should have
orange or tomato juice added to his
diet by the end of the first month
in order to prevent Scurvy.
BY this time he should also begin
to take cod-liver oil to prevent the
development of ricketts,, unless he
lives in a climate which permits
daily outdoor life in the sunshine.
Foods Besides Milk