Dietetics for NursesProudfit, Fairfax T. (Fairfax Throckmorton)
Science
Dietetics for Nurses
Proudfit, Fairfax T. (Fairfax Throckmorton)
Diet in disease
~Malnutrition~ is not confined to the children of the poor, though it
is more common with infants of parents who have not the means to
secure the best milk and give them the benefit of wholesome
surroundings and plenty of sunshine. But babies of people in moderate
circumstances, and even of wealthy parentage, are at times badly
nourished, and require the same exacting care, the same attention to
the food, the fresh air, and the sunshine that the poorer babies need
in order to survive. Malnutrition may be the result of insufficient
food, and it may also be due to the lack of one definite food element.
Again, it may be brought on by some deformity of the mouth or stomach,
which make it impossible for the baby to get all the food which he
requires for his maintenance and growth. He may be born prematurely
and his digestive apparatus not be sufficiently developed to care for
the amount or type of food necessary for his needs, or he may have
some congenital weakness which interferes with the absorption and
assimilation of his food. All of these points must be considered.
~Evidences of Correct Feeding.~--If the baby shows a steady gain,
both in weight and growth of stature, without digestional
disturbances, the food given him is probably correct, but it must be
kept in mind that nutritional disturbances, such as rickets and
scurvy, are slow in developing, and do not manifest themselves with
anything like the rapidity of digestional disturbances. Hence the
nurse must take care as far as she is able, not only to prevent the
food from causing indigestion, but also to see that it is not given in
such a form as to induce those graver and more lasting nutritional
disturbances which affect the entire system from infancy throughout
the life of the individual.
SUMMARY
~Breast Feeding versus Artificial Feeding.~--There is no doubt about
the fact that the breast-fed baby suffers less from digestional
disturbances and has more resistance to disease than the baby fed even
upon a perfectly prepared artificial food. The majority of diseases
manifested by artificially fed infants have their origin in the
following errors in diet.
~Over-Feeding.~--Resulting in acute gastro-intestinal disturbances
(colic, enterocolitis, colitis, constipation).
~Under-Feeding.~--Resulting in chronic, and acute deficiency diseases
(scurvy, rickets, malnutrition).
~Evidences of Dietetic Errors.~--The stools, showing characteristic
evidences of excessive quantities of, protein, fat, or carbohydrates
in the formula. Loss of weight or failure to gain. The development of
deficiency diseases (scurvy, rickets, xerophthalmia, rickets and
malnutrition).
~Evidences of Correctness in Feeding.~--Normal gain, freedom from
gastro-intestinal disturbances, and deficiency diseases. Rosy cheeks,
bright eyes, and a vigorous body.
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