AVe have been used for many years
to the giving of orange juice to a baby,
beginning at the third or fourth
month. We know that even if the
orange juice is given directly before a
milk feeding it does not '‘curdle"
i the milk or make it difficult to digest.
We know that the baby must have
orange juice to supply him with vita
mins, and in the case of an artificially
fed baby to prevent scurvy.
When the mother gets past the
stage of orange juice, prune juice and
tomato juice (for this latter is classed
as a fruit, you know) she rather loses
herself. She s not sure which fruits
she dare and dare not give her grow
ing child. Most children love fruits,
and it is sometimes difficult to see why
one fruit is all right and another one
taboo.
Stick to the fruits first mentioned
'he first year. They are safe and pro
vide sufficient variety for the infant.
The second year one may add the
pulp of a ripe apple, pineapple, or
fresh peach juice, or pulp, and ripe
bananas. This latter is exceedingly
rich in nourishment, and if sufficiently ■
rip© and served raw and mashed or
baked, is a fine addition to the diet.
One should be careful not to overfeed
bananas just because they are so
nourishing and because they are so
easily swallowed that a child has the
tendency to gobble them down whole
instead of carefully masticating them, j
Green bananas are hard to digest.
