Schedule For Nursing

Up to two months of age the baby will normally demand the breast about ten times in twenty-four hours, or roughly speaking, every two hours, day and night.

After the second month, the night nursings may be cut down to one, so that eight feedings in twenty-four hours will suffice, intervals from two to three hours.

After the third month, and up to the sixth, it may be fed every three hours, in the daytime only.

From the sixth to twelfth month, five feedings will suffice, all in the daytime, intervals from three to four hours.

From the twelfth month to weaning time, four feedings suffice, about four hours apart, in the daytime only.

The tendency of the mother's milk to grow scanty is usually very marked long before the nursing period is over. As already stated, she should use milk freely as a milk maker. The use of malt liquors no doubt increases the milk supply, but if the child has any ailment, especially of the skin, this will almost surely be aggravated. No drugs have any power to increase the flow of milk.

When the mother's milk is inadequate and no other breast milk is available, mixed feeding will be necessary. The baby receives just enough artificial food to make up the deficit. This is only what happens naturally at the weaning period, and is simply an anticipation of the latter.

Weaning

Children can be nursed for two or three years, but in the great majority of cases, a period not earlier than twelve or later than eighteen months is chosen to begin mixed feeding, so that the process may be made gradual or rapid as circumstances demand.

As there is absolutely no difference between artificial feeding as a supplement to breast feeding and the same as an entire diet, the subject of substitute feeding is usually discussed without special reference to the former. It must be remembered that breast feeding continued too long becomes a confirmed habit, like a drug habit, against the infant's own welfare. It then is necessary to make it repugnant by putting aloes, etc., on the mother's nipple.

Artificial Or, Bottle Feeding

When there is no breast milk available for the newly-born child, or for an infant of any age during the nursing period; or when the child has some breast milk, but not enough to nourish it; or when it has reached the weaning period and must be taken off the breast either suddenly or gradually, the general conditions are much the same; viz., the child must be nourished by some artificial fluid which closely approximates mother's milk in composition. For this purpose ass's milk seems especially suitable, as its composition and behavior in the stomach are very similar to human milk; but as a rule, no better results are obtained with any kind of foreign milk than that of the cow, properly modified to obtain the right proportion of protein, fat, and carbohydrate.

Difference Between Human And Cow's Milk

Cow's milk has a larger protein content than human milk, and is richer in mineral matter. Human milk has a larger sugar content and therefore a somewhat sweeter taste. The fat content of the two kinds of milk is about the same, and this is also true of the total solids. The following table shows the average composition of the two kinds of milk:

The fat of cow's milk differs with the breed of milch cow, and may be as low as 2 per cent. or 3 per cent. The fat in human milk is quite constant in amount, but the protein content may vary from 1 per cent. to 2 per cent., the 1.5 per cent. in the table being an average.

Human milk, in comparison with cow's milk, is very poor in casein, but rich in lactalbumin and hence, when coagulated, does not form large curds like cow's milk. The relations between casein and lactalbumin in the two kinds of milk are shown in the following table:

The high protein content and large proportion of casein in cow's milk are advantageous to the calf, with its rapid rate of growth, and complex system of stomachs in which large curds can be completely digested; but for the more slowly-growing baby, whose digestion is largely intestinal, the proportion of protein and the character of the curd must be modified. The fat of mother's milk contains more olein and more phosphorized fat (lecithin) than cow's milk. The lactose is chemically the same. Freshly drawn cow's milk is neutral or amphoteric in reaction to litmus. Basic elements predominate in both cow's and human milk, and hence they are both technically alkaline. The acidity of cow's milk to certain indicators is due to the presence of acid salts, such as acid calcium phosphate.

On standing, true acid is formed by the action of lactic acid bacteria upon the lactose. For this reason, cow's milk frequently reacts acid to litmus. Breast milk is practically sterile.