Chinese Methods of Infant Feeding

In any attempt to improve the dietary of a community, it is preferable to evolve from existing practices rather than indiscriminately to substitute foreign ones. It is obvious, then, that these indigenous practices must be known and preferably understood. Mere descriptions alone are often of interest, but their interest and value are enhanced when, as frequently is the case, domestic economies are found on examination to have a sound basis in terms of presentday scientific knowledge. In relation to infant-feeding problems in China, a general account has been given (Platt, 1936); in an appendix to this account, it was indicated that the study was being developed along three main lines: (a) a survey of native methods ; (b) a critical examination of these in the ward with the aid of laboratory methods; and (c) the translation of the laboratory findings into practice in a typical community. The present paper is a contribution to the first part of this investigation. The scope of the enquiries is given in the appendix referred to above. The method of enquiry was to take histories from mothers who were attending infant welfare clinics in a native part of Greater Shanghai-for the most part a poor district. The population was drawn from all parts of China, and most of the inhabitants had been in contact with their native place sufficiently recently to retain the habits characteristic of that place. The relationship of the investigators was such that there was no reason to doubt the authenticity of the data presented. For a sample of 387 subjects, the distribution according to their native province is given in the following table: