Mother's Remedies, Thomas Jefferson Ritter [reading well .TXT] 📗

they are not injured. Where the baby does not vomit, the surplus food passes into the bowels and causes colic and green and yellow gassy stools. If the mother's milk is too rich, only, and not too much and the baby vomits, this can be corrected by giving the baby some boiled water before each meal. The baby will not nurse so much then. OVER-FEEDING.

What do you mean by this term? The infant gets too much food, and this is chiefly done at night.

Can I depend upon the infant's natural desire for food as to the quantity to be given? Not always, the habit of over-eating is frequently acquired, and is frequently seen in infants with a good digestion.

What harm results from over-feeding an infant? The food lies in the stomach or bowels, undigested, ferments, and causes gas and colic, and if the over-feeding is long continued, serious trouble arises. The baby becomes restless, fretful, irritable, sleeps badly, stops gaining weight and may lose weight.

[588 MOTHERS' REMEDIES ] LOSS OF APPETITE.

What may cause this? Over-feeding or the use of milk too rich in fat.

What can I do for this trouble? If the child is well, offer food to him at regular hours only. Do not coax or force him to eat even though he takes only one-half or one-third of his usual quantity. Lengthen the intervals between the feedings. It may be necessary with a child under a year old to reduce the number of feedings to three or four in twenty-four hours. Give water at more frequent intervals, weaken instead of strengthening the food.

FOODS FOR SPECIAL CONDITIONS.

Some infants with weak digestive powers, and those suffering from various forms of indigestion, have often much trouble in digesting the fat of milk. To meet such troubles a series of formulas are given obtained from plain milk.

FOURTH SERIES-Formulas containing four per cent fat: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Plain Milk 5 oz. 6 oz. 7 oz. 8 oz. 9 oz. 10 oz. 12 oz. 14 oz. *Milk Sugar 1 oz 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz 3/4 oz. 3/4 oz. 1/2 oz. 1/2 oz. Lime-water 1 oz. l oz. 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz. 1 oz. Boiled water 14 oz. 13 oz. 12 oz. 7 oz. 6 oz. 5 oz. 2 oz. 0 oz. Barley Gruel. 0 oz. 0 oz. 0 oz. 4 oz. 4 oz. 4 oz. 5 oz. 5 oz. ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- ——- 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz. 20 oz.

*(Milk sugar is not counted in totals.) If more than twenty ounces are needed get the proportions by adding one-fourth, one-half, three-quarters, or double each ingredient.

Why does an infant so often vomit some of its food soon after feeding? The quantity may be too large or too rich food, the baby may feed too fast, the hole in the nipple may be too large, the clothing too tight, or you may press upon its stomach in moving the baby.

What are the causes of and changes needed for stomach troubles? It is usually a symptom of indigestion and is frequently caused by too much fat or sugar.

How can I remedy this? Reduce the fat or sugar, and increase the lime-water. Avoid the formulas made from the top-milk, or cream and milk. Those made from the seven per cent milk are not so likely to cause trouble; but you had better, if the symptoms are severe, use formulas of the fourth series.

What symptoms indicate that the baby is getting too much fat (cream)?
Vomiting and yellow, foul, greasy, or ropy stools.

How much shall I reduce the milk sugar? Use only one-half ounce to twenty ounces of food or leave it out altogether.

How shall I know when to reduce the sugar, etc.? When there is excessive formation of gas in the stomach, causing distention and pain, or belchings of gas, and often a sour stomach. Reduce the amount of sugar and increase the lime-water one and one-half to two ounces in twenty ounces of food, increase intervals between the meats one-half hour and give less quantity.

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What food usually causes habitual colic? This is due to gas accumulating in the bowels, and is usually caused by the want of digestion of the proteids (curd).

How shall I overcome this? Use a weaker formula. Use formula 4 or 3 of first series; or use partially pasteurized milk, or use barley water instead of plain water.

If curds regularly or frequently appear in the stools, what changes shall I make? This usually accompanies colic, so use means just described—reduce the proteids (skim milk).

How shall I modify the milk for chronic constipation? This is difficult to overcome, and it is more frequent when infants are fed upon a plain milk diet, variously diluted, than when seven or ten per cent milk is used and diluted to a greater degree. But you cannot use food containing more than four per cent fat, that is, eight ounces of ten per cent milk or twelve ounces of seven per cent milk in twenty ounces of food. In some cases ordinary brown sugar in one-half the quantity can take the place of milk sugar, or Mellin's food, malted milk or cereal milk can be used in the place of the milk sugar. Milk of magnesia can be used for lime-water as before directed. Orange juice can be given to infants over nine months old.

What modifications should I make in very hot weather? The proportion of fat (top-milk or milk and cream mixed) should be less and when it is very hot, for a short period, it should be much less. Use seven per cent milk in place of ten per cent, that is, formulas from the second series, or plain milk, in place of the seven per cent milk, fourth series.

If a child has good digestion, but gains very little or no weight, what changes in the food should I make? Increase the quantity of the food if the child seems hungry; or increase the strength of the food, if the child will not take a greater quantity; do not coax or force the baby to eat, give him more sleep; fresh air, etc.

If there is no modified milk that will agree with the baby, what shall I do? If the infant is under four or five months old, a wet nurse would likely succeed. If a wet nurse cannot be obtained or if the child is older use some of the substitutes for cows' milk, like Borden's Eagle Brand, canned or condensed milk. This is better to use when the trouble is in the bowels and shows colic, gas, curds in the stools, constipation, or diarrhea. If it is due to indigestion it shows in vomiting, etc.

How shall I use condensed milk? The directions are on the bottle. But if the baby is three or four months old, and has symptoms of indigestion, dilute its food with sixteen parts of boiled water, or sometimes barley water if there is no constipation. As the symptoms improve it can be made stronger, one to fourteen, one to twelve one to ten, one to eight, such changes to be made gradually.

[590 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

How long can I use the condensed milk? Generally for a few weeks only as the sole food, then give one feeding a day of modified milk, for instance, No. 3 or 4 of the series; later two feedings and gradually increase until the milk feeding is entirely used.

Why can I not continue to use condensed milk? It is very low in fat and proteids and has much sugar in it; children who take this food for sometime often gain rapidly in strength and weight, yet have not much resistance, and they are very prone to develop rickets and scurvy.

Suppose baby is teething, has a cold, sore throat, etc., what change shall I make? Dilute the food for two or three feedings by using boiled water in place of an ounce or two of food; this much to be removed from the bottle before being given; if it is necessary to continue for several days, use a weaker formula.

What changes shall I make in this for serious acute sickness? For, diseases with fever like measles, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc., dilute the food and reduce the fat (cream from top-milk). Give the food at regular intervals, but not so often. Do not force food in the early part of acute sickness.

Suppose baby has acute gastritis, what changes shall I make? Stop all food and give boiled water, only, for ten or more hours, then try barley water or whey, but do not give any milk for at least twenty-four hours after all vomiting has ceased. When you again begin the modified milk use a small quantity with a low proportion of fat, and you can secure this by using a formula from the fourth series. You may also double the proportion of lime-water.

If baby is attacked with intestinal indigestion accompanied by loose bowels, what food shall I give? If it has but two or three passages daily, lower the proportion of fat (cream, etc.), in the manner above directed, and boil the milk for five minutes. Dilute it still more if curds are present in the stools.

But suppose the attack is more severe? If there is fever and the passages smell badly and are more frequent, stop all milk and use the diet given for acute gastritis. (Acute indigestion).

Do other conditions besides the food influence digestion? Yes, use proper clothing, keep warm feet, regular habits, fresh air. Clean bottles and food, given at proper intervals and temperature, quiet surroundings and absence of excitement are needed.

What common mistakes are often made in modifying milk and feeding infants? Never fail to follow the directions given for removing the top-milk. Remove all the top-milk of any given strength in making a formula, and not only the number of ounces needed for the formula. By using rich Jersey milk as if it were more common milk. The formulas given are based upon about four per cent fat. Food is very often increased too rapidly, particularly after stomach and bowel indigestion. The food in an infant of three or four months old attacked by acute indigestion should seldom be given in full strength for two weeks afterwards, only half steps should be taken like two to two and one-half, etc. Another mistake, when indigestion symptoms show the food is not reduced quickly enough; reduce the food immediately by at least one-half.

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How to prepare cows' milk at home; what is needed? Feeding bottles, rubber nipples, an eight-ounce graduated measuring glass, a glass funnel, a brush for bottles, cotton, alcohol lamp, a tall quart cup for warming bottles of milk, a pitcher for mixing food, a wide mouthed bottle of boric acid and one of bicarbonate of soda, a pasteurizer, and later a double boiler for cooking cereals will be needed.

What kind of bottles shall I buy? A cylindrical graduated bottle with a wide neck holding about 8 ounces. This makes washing them easier. You should have as many bottles for use as the baby takes meals a day (ten at first).

How shall I care for the bottles? Rinse them, as soon as the child is through nursing, with cold water, and let stand filled with cold water and a little bicarbonate of soda in the water. Before using them again wash them thoroughly with the bottle brush