OVER NURSING.

Mothers who have a very large supply of milk are very likely to overfeed their babies if the milk is of good quality.  This will drain the mother’s strength.  Some mothers allow their babies to nurse to relieve the uncomfortable feeling.  If the infant vomits the surplus immediately 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.