AnnualReport-1936 — Page 469

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296. A certain number of cases were referred by the Society to the Medical Officer at the Infant Welfare Centres, for advice regarding artificial feeds, and for medical treatment.

297. Infant Feeding.-The importance of feeding in infant welfare work has been commented upon in each annual report, and it is now possible to give some figures arising from investi- gations made during the past year.

298. The investigations were started by having samples of breast milk, and samples of five brands of Sweetened Condensed Milks analysed, for comparison with Dried Milks, and the breast milk of European women. The advertised analysis of four brands of Dried Milk were used, and an average analysis cal- culated from them.

299. For the purpose of comparison of these different types of milk, a dilution of 1 in 8 was allowed for in the case of Condensed Milks and Dried Milks. The average analysis of each type of milk is shown in the following table:-

TABLE I

European

Chinese

Breast Milk Breast Milk

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Dried

Milk

Protein

1-2%

1.46%

1.06%

2.64%

Fat

3 - 4.5%

3.26%

1.05% 3.10%

Carbohydrate

6-7%

6.70%

6.86%

5.80%

300. From a study of this table the close similarity between the milk of Chinese and European women is at once apparent, as is also the serious deficiency in the fat content of condensed milks compared with breast milk.

301. The next part of the investigation was to ascertain the progress of infants for whom we had kept reliable records for a number of weeks. The infants were divided into three groups according to their feeds and the following particulars were ascertained for each group:-

(a) the average gain in weight per week.

(b) the average period under supervision.

(c) the average percentage of days of illness.

(d) the numbers of infants in each group.