ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Principles of Upbringing Children Chapter 20: The Schedule of Breast Feeding The experts have suggested two methods for feeding of the babies. Some are of opinion that for feeding the child well thought out schedules have to be devised and the feeding should be done implicitly at those predetermined intervals. Between two feedings some have prescribed a delay of three hours and some suggest a gap of four hours.

In the interim period it is recommended to abstain from feeding the baby. Some other experts do not approve of this type of scheduling. And they believe in feeding the baby more frequently on the basis of the indication of the appetite by the baby. They say that whenever the baby shows the desire for food, it must be fed. Some other nutritionists feel that the latter method of feeding is more suitable as they believe that the baby must get the milk whenever it shows signs of hunger.

Both the methods, however, have their own pros and cons as illustrated here: Hunger or thirst of a child cannot be determined positively because it cannot express its need clearly. In the initial stage of feeding it will be drinking the milk for sating its appetite and then it continues to suckle the breasts. In such situations the child cries not so much with hunger as with the desire to suckle the mother’s breast. The mother too gives her milk to the child to stop his crying.

Often the child cries without any appetite for food but the mother gives it the milk thinking that it is hungry. The child therefore drinks the mother’s milk while it has the appetite and sometimes when it doesn’t. It is a well established fact that taking of food at erratic intervals is not good for the health of the children as it is for the adults this habit might upset the digestive system of the child. This is why unplanned feeding of babies is fraught with risk of illness for them.

‘Ali, The Commander of the Faithful, says: “Excessive eating and eating more thereafter should be avoided. Those who eat more are more likely to fall ill.” [^1] The child who drinks milk without any controlled schedule will have a disorganized existence from the very beginning and grow into a disorderly adult. It is common practice that whenever a baby cries, the mother’s breast is given to it without trying to determine the cause of the crying.

Such children get into the habit of skulking all the time.