Page:Food and cookery for the sick and convalescent.djvu/46

24 That the baby may not be overfed, it is necessary to emphasize the stomach capacity at different ages; thus the following table may be of value:—

At birth $5/6$ to 1 oz.

At 4 weeks 2½ oz.

At 8 weeks 3$1/5$ oz.

At 12 weeks. . 3⅓ oz.

At 16 weeks 3$56/100$

At 20 weeks 3$3/5$ oz.

A mother's first thought should be for the welfare of her child, and she should wisely regulate her exercise and sleep, making an effort to control emotions and avoid nervous disturbances, which so readily affect the composition of the milk. A plain, wholesome diet, including meat, eggs, fish, cereals, fresh vegetables, and fruit, is recommended. Highly seasoned foods, pastry, and an excess of sweet foods should be avoided. Milk, or a beverage of which the principal constituent is milk, should be taken. While tea and coffee are not prohibited, cocoa is much more desirable. Oftentimes the three meals prove insufficient, and a luncheon may be introduced in the forenoon, and milk or gruel before retiring.

If the mother's milk proves inadequate to the child's needs, it often may be made suitable by change of diet and proper exercise. A child will lose on too rich a food as well as one lacking in nutritive value. The proteid and fat in human milk are subject to variations, while the mineral matter and milk sugar are nearly constant.

To increase the supply of milk, increase the liquid in the diet. To decrease the supply (which is seldom necessary), decrease the liquid. To increase the amount of proteid, eat more meat and decrease the exercise; to decrease the quantity, eat less meat, increase the quantity of liquid, and increase the exercise. To increase the fat, increase the meat, and also fats in a readily digested form,