How shall I modify the milk for chronic constipation? This is difficult to overcome, and it is more frequent when infants are fed upon a plain milk diet, variously diluted, than when seven or ten per cent milk is used and diluted to a greater degree. But you cannot use food containing more than four per cent fat, that is, eight ounces of ten per cent milk or twelve ounces of seven per cent milk in twenty ounces of food. In some cases ordinary brown sugar in one-half the quantity can take the place of milk sugar, or Mellin's food, malted milk or cereal milk can be used in the place of the milk sugar. Milk of magnesia can be used for lime-water as before directed. Orange juice can be given to infants over nine months old.
What modifications should I make in very hot weather? The proportion of fat (top-milk or milk and cream mixed) should be less and when it is very hot, for a short period, it should be much less. Use seven per cent milk in place of ten per cent, that is, formulas from the second series, or plain milk, in place of the seven per cent milk, fourth series.
If a child has good digestion, but gains very little or no weight, what changes in the food should I make? Increase the quantity of the food if the child seems hungry; or increase the strength of the food, if the child will not take a greater quantity; do not coax or force the baby to eat, give him more sleep; fresh air, etc.
If there is no modified milk that will agree with the baby, what shall I do? If the infant is under four or five months old, a wet nurse would likely succeed. If a wet nurse cannot be obtained or if the child is older use some of the substitutes for cows' milk, like Borden's Eagle Brand, canned or condensed milk. This is better to use when the trouble is in the bowels and shows colic, gas, curds in the stools, constipation, or diarrhea. If it is due to indigestion it shows in vomiting, etc.
How shall I use condensed milk? The directions are on the bottle. But if the baby is three or four months old, and has symptoms of indigestion, dilute its food with sixteen parts of boiled water, or sometimes barley water if there is no constipation. As the symptoms improve it can be made stronger, one to fourteen, one to twelve one to ten, one to eight, such changes to be made gradually.
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How long can I use the condensed milk? Generally for a few weeks only as the sole food, then give one feeding a day of modified milk, for instance, No. 3 or 4 of the series; later two feedings and gradually increase until the milk feeding is entirely used.
Why can I not continue to use condensed milk? It is very low in fat and proteids and has much sugar in it; children who take this food for sometime often gain rapidly in strength and weight, yet have not much resistance, and they are very prone to develop rickets and scurvy.
Suppose baby is teething, has a cold, sore throat, etc., what change shall I make? Dilute the food for two or three feedings by using boiled water in place of an ounce or two of food; this much to be removed from the bottle before being given; if it is necessary to continue for several days, use a weaker formula.
What changes shall I make in this for serious acute sickness? For, diseases with fever like measles, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc., dilute the food and reduce the fat (cream from top-milk). Give the food at regular intervals, but not so often. Do not force food in the early part of acute sickness.