Healthy Babies; A Volume Devoted to the Health of the Expectant Mother and the Care and Welfare of the Child

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1923 edition. Excerpt: ...up the bony structure of the body, and owing to the rapid growth of infants and children, mineral salts are more important in their diet than they are in adult life. Water forms about eighty-seven per cent of the composition of milk. It is essential as a solvent for the other constituents of milk, such as the protein, carbohydrates and salts, and to hold the fats in suspension to form an emulsion. Water is necessary to replace the great waste of bodily tissue that is going on constantly, and the fluids that are lost through the bowels, kidneys and skin. In proportion to its weight, an infant requires six times as much water as an adult does. Comparison of Human Milk and Cows' Milk The following table shows a comparison of human milk and cows' milk. Human Milk Cows' Milk Average Per Cent Average Per Cent Fats 3.50 4.00 Sugar (carbohydrate) 7.50 4.75 Protein 1.25 3.50 Salts 20.75 Water 87.55 87.00 Total 100.00 100.00 "Holt The main difference between human milk and cows' milk lies in the greater amount of sugar in human milk, and the excess of protein in cows' milk. In the analysis given above, milk with 3.5 per cent fat has been given as an average, as milk of this fat content gives the best results in infant feeding. While the sugar in cows' milk is less than in human milk, it is of the same kind. The protein, occurring in larger amount, also forms a tougher curd, and is less easy of digestion than the protein of human milk. These facts all must be taken into account when deciding how cows' milk is to be modified for infant feeding. Cows' Milk Jersey, Alderney or Guernsey cows usually give milk which has a very high fat content, therefore its use is apt to cause digestive disturbance. The milk from Holstein or Ayrshire cows is more...