As should always be said at the beginning of a set of instructions for feeding the new-born baby, mother’s milk is the best. But if this is impossible, a feeding mixture can be constructed on which most babies will thrive.
The most modern idea is to prepare the formula for one day’s feeding as follows:
(1) Cow’s Milk:
(a) It must be clean. This is most simply accomplished by boiling. The bottles into which it is poured and the nipples should also be boiled.
(b) Amount.One and one-half to two ounces per pound of baby’s body weight a day.
(2) Additions to the Milk:
(a) Sugar.Boiled milk will provide enough protein, fat and minerals for the growing infant, but will not provide enough sugar. With most infants any kind of sugar will be tolerated. Ordinary table sugar, however, less so than dextrine or maltose. The easiest form in which to get the latter is in the form of corn syrup. Therefore, to one pint of milk (approximately a day’s supply) should be added two level tablespoonfuls of table sugar, or two tablespoonfuls of corn syrup, or four level tablespoonfuls of malt sugar or prepared infants’ food. (Most of the infants’ foods contain dextrine or maltose.)
(b) Lactic Acid is often recommended to be added to the mixture in order to make it more digestible. One teaspoonful of lactic add is added to a pint of milk, drop by drop, while the milk is stirred and when the milk is cold.
(c) Boiled Water should be addedeight ounces.
(3) Time of Feedings:
Six feedings, four hours apart, through the twenty-four hours.
Give the baby four ounces of the above mixture at each feeding and allow it to take as much as it wishes, as there will be little danger of overfeeding with this mixture.
(4) Besides the Milk Feedings:
Vitamins: Cod liver oil for vitamins A and Dhalf a teaspoonful three times a day.
Orange juice or tomato juice for vitamin Ctwo tablespoonfuls a day. These should be strained at first and given with the feedings or separate from them.