A smaller, weaker child, and whose digestion is not so good, or with one who has tried the first series and did not do well, should use the second series of formulas.
[582 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]
What is the reason the food is made so weak at first? The infant's stomach is made to digest mother's milk, not cows' milk, so we must begin with weak cows' milk, and the infant's stomach can thus be trained to digest it. Strong milk would be very liable to seriously upset the child's digestion.
How rapidly can I increase the food in strength, that is, go from formula 1 to 2, 3, 4, and 5, of either series? This can not be told, absolutely. It depends upon the infant, how it bears the food. Usually you can begin on formula one on the second day, formula two on the fourth day; three, after seven or ten days, but after that make the increase slower. If the infant is large, strong and of good digestion, he may be able to take of formula five by the time he is three or four weeks old. A weak child, or one with feeble digestion must go much slower, and such an one may not reach formula five until it is three or four months old. Mothers should remember it is safer to increase the strength of the food very gradually; some infants should have an increase of only one-half ounce instead of one ounce; thus: three to three and one-half ounces, etc. Two or three days should be allowed at least between each increase of food.
May I not go by a general rule in increasing the food? Yes, increase the food when the infant is not satisfied, but is digesting well.
How does an infant show this? He drains the bottle hungrily and cries when it is taken away. He may begin to fret a half hour or so before the time for the next feeding. He often sucks his fingers immediately after feeding.
If I wish to prepare more than 20 ounces of food, what proportions shall I use? To make 25 ounces, add one-fourth more of each ingredient. To make 30 ounces, add one-half more of each ingredient. To make 35 ounces, add three-fourths more of each ingredient. To make 40 ounces, double each ingredient.
For example, 25 ounces of food would call for—2-1/2 ounces of milk; 1-1/4 ounces of milk sugar; 1-1/4 ounces of lime-water; 21-1/4 ounces of boiled water.
For 30 ounces of food, proportions would be—Milk, 3 ounces; milk sugar, 1-1/2 ounces; lime-water, 1-1/2 ounces; boiled water, 25-1/2 ounces.
How much more should be made at one time? Five ounces may be made, but the first few days only two or three ounces of the additional should be given; four ounces the next two days, and after two days more may give the five ounces additional that has been made; that is, twenty-five ounces in all.