If you are worried that your overweight baby has gained weight too fast and now weighs too much, it is most likely that you are worried over nothing. Infants can indeed become overweight if they are overfed, but this happens only rarely. Even most perfectly healthy infants go through many different phases in their first year of life, and those who are born large and thrive during their early months commonly accumulate a lot of fat, which can make them look rather round and pudgy. But looks can be deceiving. Whereas we usually think of adults with a lot of fat as unhealthy, a decent amount of extra fat on a baby can actually be a sign of good health.
Of course, if you are seriously concerned that your child may be overweight, the most important thing for you to do is talk to your child’s doctor at your next checkup. Nine times out of 10, a pediatrician will be able to put these worries to rest. Your doctor can chart your child’s development and tell you where your baby stands in comparison to other infants of the same age, and as long as your baby is not in the top few percentile points, then you have nothing to worry about, even if your child appears to have a lot of extra fat.
If your doctor says your child is at a healthy weight, there is probably nothing to worry about. Even if friends, family, and people you meet consistently comment about how round and pudgy your child is (a surprisingly common comment when it comes to infants), do not let it bother you. In all likelihood, your child will soon hit a growth spurt and her proportions will balance out.
Still, if your doctor has indicated that your child is in the top percentile of weight for his age, there are some things you can do to help make sure your child’s size stays at a healthy level:
Keep breastfeeding: Babies who are fed primarily formula can be perfectly healthy, but when you breastfeed there is a natural synergy between your body and your child’s body, and this tends to lead to a healthy balance. Your body will produce the milk your child needs to stay healthy, and your child will feel satisfied with what he or she gets. Plus, studies have shown that breastfeeding throughout a child’s infancy helps prepare the child to have a healthy relationship to diet later on. If you cannot breastfeed, however, do not worry about it too much. There are other ways to make sure your baby is healthy.
Limit serving sizes: When you do move your child to formula, foods, and juices (the last two of which are not essential until later on), make sure that you are not giving too much. Ask your doctor to recommend how much formula your child should have in a day, and make sure not to exceed that amount. And when it does come time to give food and juice, keep the portions moderate, and try not to use snacks and juice as tools for comforting your child when she is upset.
Find ways to soothe your child other than feeding: Many parents understandably fall into a pattern of giving a child the breast, a bottle, or a snack when the baby needs to be soothed or put to sleep. While this might be an easy and reliable way to calm the child, it also elevates the risk that the child will be overfed. So from very early on, continuously experiment with ways to soothe your child that do not rely on food, milk, or juice.
By Marc Courtiol