Obesity affects children of all ages and is detected even in babies at 6 months old. In the past, pediatricians did not focus on obesity in babies and rarely recorded such conditions in their monitoring. Now that the obesity epidemic continues to cause alarm it has become evident that addressing excessive weight gain in babies is important.
Measurements
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a screening tool used to determine if your child is underweight, overweight, healthy weight or obese. Childhood obesity is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics as "a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex." Your baby's weight status is determined by his weight-to-length ratio, age and gender.
Recommendations
Children experience unparalleled growth spurts and changes in nutrition requirements when they are infants. Infants need more calories than at any other time in their lives. From 0 to 6 months babies need an average of 108 calories per kg of body weight, and from 6 to 12 months they need 98 calories per kg.
Causes
New parents suffering from the irregularity of sleeping patterns are more likely to treat their child's fussiness as hunger and comfort them with food. Children who are not breastfed are more likely to overeat because of excessive feedings and being spoon fed too early. Babies are also born with a suckling fixation that can be confused with hunger.
Prevention
Investigators in a research study conducted by Pennsylvania State University's Department of Pediatrics found that combining feeding strategies can prevent infant obesity. Parents should learn the difference between their baby's hunger and other discomforts. They should soothe rather than feed distress unrelated to hunger, and to prolong times of sleep. Repeatedly exposing babies to healthy foods despite possible rejection, a well-timed introduction of solid foods and understanding satiety cues are all key components to preventing obesity in babies.
A Case for Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding provides the best nutrition possible for your baby and has been deemed "the norm for infant feeding" by the American Dietetic Association. Breastfeeding conserves natural resources, is inexpensive, and improves infant and mother morbidity. A breastfed baby interacts more with her mother and is able to recognize feelings of satiety more readily than formula-fed babies who might be overfed.
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