Mother’s milk is always the best for kids up to age 6 months, but if they need to be given any other milk such as cow’s milk we have to make sure that this milk closely resembles mother’s milk. This is possible by mixing two thirds fresh cow milk with one third boiling water sweetened with loaf sugar. We can use thin barley water instead of plain boiling water. This is the best dietary supplement that we can offer to kids under age 6 months.
Kids under age 6 months are immature to be fed on thick gruel, bread crumbs or powdered biscuits. This will not provide a nourishing diet, but will cause indigestion or stomach disorders because these foods are too solid for the kid’s feeble digestive system. These foods thus overload the stomach and cause disorders such as loose motions, griping, pain and flatulence. The parents have to take remedial measures such as using a purgative, and if this process is continued as a cycle, then the kid’s health is sure to deteriorate.
Parents need to keep in mind that kids who are fed on age appropriate diet continue to remain robust and active with out the help of a doctor. It is important that the cow’s milk is pure, fresh, un-skimmed and without water. Use at a time as much quantity of milk as necessary and keep the rest of the milk un-tampered. Only the wanted milk should be mixed with water and sweetened. For best results, add the milk to boiling water rather than boiling the milk on a fire. Then allow the mixture to become cool enough to be given to the kid. The process should be repeated when the need for another feeding comes around.
The quantity of the milk could be increased, if necessary, as the kid advances in age at the ratio of 3:1 milk and water respectively. But this is unnecessary if the kid’s health is good and is improving. Very young kids are designed by nature to one type of food, that is milk, and they do not require other types of food which may cause more harm than good.
As far as possible, kids under age 6 months should not be given any other food other than milk that they could suck from a breast or a bottle as the process of nature demands. Spoon feeding is unhealthy at this stage because the kids simply swallow what enters their mouth without mixing it with their saliva which is necessary for digestion. When they suck the milk from a nipple or a bottle, their mouth gets enough time to produce sufficient saliva so that it gets mixed with the milk before they swallow. Thus, keeping the rules of nature will save you and your kids from any unwanted problems.
Posted on April 13th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Baby, Breastfeeding, Child Care, Diet, Toddler
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