This is my fifth instalment from "The Care and Feeding of Children" by L.
Emmet Holt M.D. (1917 edition).  This book was given to me in 1978 by my
mother in law when my first child was born.  It is the book that her mother
used as a new mother in 1917.  The cover is a dark green with gold
lettering.  Inside of the book I have found several interesting (old)
newspaper articles on feeding children.  I also found a tiny lock of my
mother in laws hair from baby-hood and the cut-out out-line of a baby born
in 1917 to a family friend.  The baby was premature and on the back of the
tiny paper hand is written "Mildred Irene Carson's 13 week old".  That's the
age she was when she died.


                               WEANING

"At what age should the child be weaned from the breast?
Usually weaning should begin at nine or ten months by substituting one
feeding a day for one nursing, later two feedings, and thus gradually the
child is to be taken from the breast all together.

What is the principal reason for weaning earlier?
The most important one is the child is not thriving- not gaining in wieght
nor progressing normally in development.  Serious illness of the mother, or
pregnancy may make weaning necessary.

How can some difficulties in weaning be overcome?
By feeding every infant once a day or by giving it water regularly from a
feeding bottle.  This is a matter of great convience during the whole period
of nursing when the mother or nurse may from necessity be away from the
child for a few hours;  when more feedings are required at the time of
feeding the child does not object.

                          ARTIFICIAL FEEDING

What foods contain all the elements present in mother's milk?
The milk of other animals,-cow's milk being the only one which is available
for general use.

Is it not possible for infants to thrive upon other foods than those
containing fresh milk?
They may do so for a time, but never permanently.  The long-continued use of
other foods as the sole diet is attended with great risk.

What are the dangers of such foods?
Frequently scurvy is produced, and in other cases simply a condition of
general malnutrition,-the child does not thrive, is pale, and it's muscles
are soft and flabby.

Is it possible to modify cow's milk so as to make it a perfect substitute
for mother's milk?
It is not.  Although we can modify cow's milk so that the great majority of
infants can digest it and thrive on it, it must be remembered that there are
differences which cannot be wholey overcome.  There are certain pecular
quantities in mother's milk which cow's milk does not possess.

                                    NERVOUSNESS

At what age may playing with babies be begun?
Babies under six months should never be played with; and the less of it at
any time the better for the infant.

What harm is done by playing with very young babies?
They are made nervous and irritable, sleep badly and suffer from indigestion
and in many other respects.

Stay tuned for mor episodes in the next few days.

Nancy Sherwood LLLL, IBCLC-Perth, Australia