The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-08-22
Homemakers' Column
Conducted by Miss Margaret Kirby
Burtis, Home Demonstration Agent
WHY Fruit Juice For The Babv ;

Why Fruit Juice For The Baby?
When a doctor sees, in a children's
hospital within four months time,
seventeen babies seriously i'll with
scurvy, he knows that something is
very wrong in that community. Sew
enteen cases of scurvy are bad enough
in themselves, but for each case that
comes to the hospital, there are sure
to be many other ailing babies out
side, with nobody knowing just what
is the matter with them.
This happened recently in one of
our big cities. 1t happened because
the babies had not had the right food.
Probably the same thing is happen
ing in other places where many peo-
pie have been out of work for long
time and their families have been on
short rations. 1t can happen, how
ever, where there is plenty of all
kinds of food except vegetables and
fruits. 1t can happen to babies that
have plenty of milk and cod-liver oil
and cereal-but no orange or tomato
juice.
Scurvy is due to the lack of one
particular food ubstance-vitamin c,
which we get chiefly from vegetables
and fruits. Adults who eat plenty of
vegetables and fruits do not have
scurvy. Nor do babies that have or
ange juice or tomato juice every day.
But anybody, young or old, who goes
for long time without such foods, or
with not enough of them, will sooner
or later show symptoms of scurvy, 1t
may be mild at first, but gradually,
as time goes on and vitamin G foods
are still lacking, the disease becomes
acute. So the babay's orange juice, or
tomato juice, is by no means just a
fad or new-fangled notion. 1t is true
our parents and grandparents, per-
haps we ourselves, never had orange
juice when we were babies. Oranges
were too scarce. They came at Christ
mas time, for children only, out Of
Santa Claus pack. AS for tomatoes,
some people thought they were poison!
Nobody thought these foods were nee
essary for babies then. But times have
changed-especially for the babies.
The United States Children's Bu-
lreau, in its directions for infants care,
advises regular feeding of orange
juice or tomato juice for the baby
every day, beginning when he is a
month old This in addition to his milk
and cod-liver oil. 1t is a safeguard
against scurvy.
To provide orange juice for the
baby alone, you need two or three
oranges a week, depending on the
size and juiciness. Never squeeze the
orange and let the juice stand, how
ever. 1t looses vitamin c that way. To
make one orange go as far as posi-
BILE for the baby, cut small piece off
one end and squeeze the juice from
that end-piece for one feeding, then
turn the cut surface of the orange
into a plate or saucer and set it in
cool place until the baby's next feed
ing time. Then cut off another small
piece of the orange, squeeze out of it
another spoonful or two of juice, as
required, and again turn the cut sur
face of the orange into the plate to
keep for the next feeding-and so on.
Tomatoes, fresh or canned, may be
used for the baby's orange juice.
Strain off his portion of the juice when
you open the can, and keep it closely
covered in the coolest place you have.