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17
" Most of the mistakes in feeding are due to over-feeding.
I think the toddler suffers more than the baby from this. Far
too many sweets are eaten, and too much bread and carbohydrate
food generally. It is always my custom to advise the
mother as far as possible as to the relative food values of
different foods, and to explain to her how, if she saves the
money spent on sweets or broken biscuits, she could buy
" real " butter, fruit, vegetables and eggs, which have a greater
food value for the child. Dripping is always recommended in
preference to margarine.
"In discussing the diet of the child with the mother, the
importance of good teeth is emphasized ; the mother is advised
to give a little raw fruit (to children over one year) after each
meal, and recommended to clean the teeth every night.
"In the feeding of infants, breast-feeding is urged and,
in many cases, is re-established after some one or two weeks
has elapsed after hurriedly weaning the baby. When the
mother is unable to feed the baby, supplementary feeding,
usually with a Dried Mill-:, is advised. My own experience is
that a Dried Milk, properly used, is quite as satisfactory in
every way as boiled Cows' Milk."
MATERNITY CLINIC.
This is open every Wednesday and Thursday
morning.
Particulars of attendances :—
Total.
Expectant Mothers—first visits .. .. 350)
835
„ „ subsequent visits .. 485)
Mothers recently confined—first visits 118)
211
„ „ „ subsequent visits 93
The number of sessions was 102, and the average
attendance per session was 10.2. On the average the
expectant mothers attended 2.4 times, and recently
confined mothers 1.8 times.
During the earlier part of the year, the attendances
fell somewhat, but increased rapidly towards the end
of the year.