No; it only happens to come so in simplifying the calculation. It may be avoided by taking off at first the upper 13 ounces as top-milk and using 7 ounces of this in a 20-ounce mixture, in place of Formula I; and by using for the next increase the upper 15 ounces as top-milk, taking of this 8 ounces in a 20-ounce mixture in place of Formula II. Then should follow Formula III.
What further addition may be made to the food of the later months?
Usually about the sixth or seventh month, farinaceous food in the form of gruel may be added, this taking the place of part of the water and part of the sugar.
What changes may be made in the food when the infant has reached the age of ten or eleven months?
The proteids may be still further increased, and the sugar and the lime-water reduced until plain milk is given.
How may this best be done?
At first one feeding a day of plain milk and barley gruel may be given; later, two feedings; then three feedings, etc. Let us suppose an infant to be taking such a modified milk as Formula IV or V (page 76), six feedings a day. The plain milk diluted only with barley gruel would at first replace one of these feedings; then two, three, four, etc., these changes being made at intervals of about two weeks. The proportions of the milk and barley gruel should at first be about 5½ ounces milk, 2½ ounces barley; later, 6 ounces milk, 3 ounces barley; still later, 7 ounces milk, 2 ounces barley, until finally plain milk is given to drink and the cereals given separately with a spoon. This is reached with most infants at fourteen or fifteen months; with many at twelve or thirteen months. Other forms of farinaceous food may of course be used in the place of the barley, and in the same proportions.
With some infants the addition of a pinch of bicarbonate of soda may be advantageously made to each milk-feeding when the lime-water is omitted, but with most this is unnecessary.
If the infant strongly objects to the taste of the milk when the milk sugar has been omitted, a small quantity (one fourth to one half teaspoonful) of granulated sugar may for a time be added to each feeding, then gradually reduced.