A recent Yahoo! article about the possibility of formula-fed babies being overfed sparked my interest. I never thought about the possibility of overfeeding one of our babies. I’ve always heard that babies eat when they are hungry and don’t eat when they aren’t. That statement is true most of the time. Really, my first thought was that Yahoo! was just picking on moms who choose to or are forced to feed their babies formula. I know several children who were fed formula from just a few weeks old who are a very healthy weight today, so I never really fell for the idea that formula-fed little ones have a higher risk of being obese, but that might be naive considering what a narrow frame of reference I have.
The entire nation, as well as several other parts the world, are conscientious about weight, and that translates to their children. No one wants their children to suffer the low self-esteem and possible ridicule the overweight children of our generation did, let alone bear the health risks associated with it. So, what can we do to help our babies form good eating habits?
Well, good news for formula-feeding families is that the experts don’t know for sure if it is actually the formula that is causing the obesity in some toddlers, or if it is the habits of the caregivers. Whatever the cause is, and whether you feed your baby formula here are some bad habits you can avoid:
1) Don’t put the bottle in the baby’s mouth if he or she has already turned away from it. Turning away from the bottle is a sign that the baby is full. If we continue to put the bottle in the baby’s mouth, it is likely he or she will take it. This will cause the baby to be over full. Signs of being over-full are vomiting right after eating, abdominal pain right after eating (the baby will be upset and will possibly draw his or her knees up), and obviously, the baby gaining weight more rapidly than your pediatrician recommends. Of course, one sign alone does not necessarily mean your baby has been overfed. Don’t over analyze!
2) Notice the signs that your baby is finished eating: turning away, sucking significantly slower than he or she was at the beginning, drifting in and out of sleep, etc.
3) Don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle. Not only is this bad for the baby’s future dental health, it will also cause the baby to drink out of comfort-seeking, not hunger.
4) Know how much your baby needs a day so you can ensure you aren’t giving the baby much more than the maximum recommended. Unfortunately, it is common that caregivers will immediately turn to the bottle when the baby is upset, because they want to solve the problem fast. If the baby isn’t due for another feeding for another hour, it is likely that he or she is crying for another reason: dirty diaper, tired, discomfort (change baby’s position), attention (hold or play with your baby!), temperature discomfort (take off or put on clothes), or something is hurting him or her (feel the inside of clothes, socks, blankets, or the seat your baby is sitting on). Here is Babble’s recommended daily milk intake.
5) Unrelated to formula, another reason medical professionals suspect to be linked to obesity in small children is introducing solid foods too early. Many recommend you wait until your baby turns 6-months-old.
6) This is obvious, but keep your baby away from sweets, salt, juice, soda, etc. Keep track of what you are feeding him or her and ensure that it is in compliance with the daily nutrition recommendations. The USDA has a lot of good information on their site: Core Nutrition Messages.
It’s HARD to be a parent. It’s great to educate ourselves using several sources, but most importantly, we need to trust our instincts. They got us here!
Resources:
The Bump: Overfeeding in Babies
Yahoo! Voices: Formula Feeding Your Baby: Be Aware of Overfeeding
Yahoo! Health: Study: Bottle-Feeding Babies More Than Doubles Obesity Risk
Kids Health: Formula Feeding: How Much and How Often?
Medical Daily: Babies At Risk Of Obesity Due To Parents Overfeeding
Babble: Babble Baby Feeding Chart| kids cooking | baby feeding | Babble
Leave a Reply