Overweight Baby

Research Indicates That An Overweight Baby Could Lead To An Obese Child

The tendency to be an overweight baby could begin before a child is born. If a mother to be gains an unhealthy amount of weight during pregnancy, the fetus may become larger than advisable, increasing the chance of needing a caesarean, plus other complications in pregnancy and delivery. This includes an increased chance of stillbirth -- as reported by the National Obesity Forum.

The amount and type of feeding in infancy could then add to potential childhood obesity. The WIC program takes the position that if babies are given only breast milk and water, they are less likely to be obese as children; They are less likely to have a taste for sweet drinks as they mature. This is significant since drinking soda and other sugary drinks have been found to be a major cause of children’s obesity.

A study by Rutgers University in 2009 indicated that overweight in infancy and then in childhood could be related to a mother’s inability to accurately interpret signs that her baby is full, thus leading to over feeding.

Another report, focused on the rate at which an infant gains weight, also supports a link between overweight infants and childhood obesity. Specifically, studies conducted by Harvard Medical School and other research groups found that if a baby gains weight too quickly from zero to 6 months, it may become obese by age 3.

Although similar studies have indicated this, the criteria on these 2009 studies took into account not only a baby’s weight, but its height, postulating that a more rapid than average increase in height was related to overweight as well. This means that they analyzed the height of a baby in proportion to its weight, rather than weight alone.

These findings led one researcher to question the validity of what is generally considered a healthy weight in babies. This brings to mind the commonly held belief that “a fat baby is a healthy baby” -- or at least that it is normal for babies to be fat. Perhaps the truth is that an overweight baby is at risk for obesity in childhood and adulthood.

To make sure you don’t have an overweight baby:

If you are not sure when your baby is full, get help to learn the signs of satiety, so that you don’t end up over feeding him or her.
During regular health care check ups, ask the doctor or nurse for a body mass index reading on your baby. This will tell you if he or she has a healthy amount of body fat for its size, at each stage of development.
Eliminate fruit juice, even the type without added sugar, and other sweet drinks. Instead give water and breast milk or formula. Keep in mind that fruit juice and fruit in its natural form is already very high in sugar content and will stimulate your baby’s acquiring a sweet tooth-- not to mention promoting tooth decay.
Provide healthy snacks that are low in calories and sugar. A few ideas are non-fat cheese such as mozzarella, with celery or healthy crackers (crackers or celery only as the child’s age permits to avoid choking hazard), and pieces of whole fruit chopped into small bites.