The care of infants : a manual for mothers and nurses / by Sophia Jex-Blake.

  • Sophia Jex-Blake
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The care of infants : a manual for mothers and nurses / by Sophia Jex-Blake. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    51/136 (page 31)
    H.] to suckle a cliild with a moutli full of teeth, as it is to force starchy foods into the system before saliva and pancreatic juice are provided for their digestion. One word of caution may be desirable about giving babies crusts of bread, or pieces of biscuit, to suck and chew when the teeth are coming. A good many dangerous accidents have happened in consequence of this practice; pieces of bread or biscuit being broken off roughly and imperfectly swallowed, so that choking has en- sued, and the baby’s life been imperilled. It is always safer to envelope the food in a little bag of net or muslin, and to see that it is safely fast- ened by a string to chair or table, so that the baby cannot push the whole down its throat. I have been asked to specify the kinds of “ Infants’ Food ” which I should recommend, but I think it better not to make any selection, as I do not believe that one differs greatly from another in value, and most mothers and nurses have their own favourites. I doubt whether any of them are better than the simple articles already named, and I believe that a healthy infant may be brought up perfectly well on any simple farinaceous food with an abundant supply of milk. In the case of a sickly child the doctor’s special advice should be obtained. I will, however, mention in detail two of the household prepara- tions which have stood the test of experience, aud may be safely recommended.