London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Willesden 1904
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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Each bottle should be sweetened with a little sugar. As the baby gets
older the addition of a little cream or a few drops of Cod Liver Oil to
each bottle will be found to be a great advantage.
The following Table shows the amount and frequency of feeding to be adopted generally according to the age of the child:—
| Age. | Interval between meals by day. hours. | Night Feedings 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. | No. of Feedings 24 hours. | Quantity for one Feeding. ounces. | Quantity for 24 hours. ounces. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd to 7th day | 2 | 2 | 10 | 1-1½ | 10—15 |
| 2nd and 3rd weeks . . | 2 | 2 | 10 | 1½-3½ | 15—35 |
| 4th and 5th weeks ... | 2 | 1 | 10 | 2½-3½ | 25—35 |
| 6th week to 3rd month | 2½ | 1 | 8 | 3 —5 | 24—40 |
| 3rd to 5th month | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 —6 | 28—42 |
| 5th to 9th month | 3 | 0 | 6 | 5 —7½ | 30—45 |
| 9th to 12th month ... | 4 | 0 | 5 | 7 — 9 | 35—45 |
One Ounce = Two Tablespoonsful.
The food should be given warm. A rough test is for the mother to
pour a few drops on the front of her wrist, when it should feel warm but
not hot. It is wrong for the mother to put the teat in her own mouth in
order to test whether the food is of the right temperature. Baby should
be held in the arms while being fed, and should never be fed for longer than
twenty minutes at a time. The bottle should be so held that the neck is
kept filled with the milk in order that no air be sucked by the infant.
These are general elementary instructions. In many cases they will
require modification, but the reasons which call for this call also
for the skilled and particular advice of the medical practitioner. William Buffer
Medical Officer of Health.
Morton & Burt, Printers (L.S.C.), 187, Edgware Road, W.