Learning about Obesity in Infants
During a recent visit to the hospital, a baby was brought for immunization, and upon seeing how big the baby was, other parents screamed in amazement, I saw some women walk up to the child's mother to inquire about the age of the child, at some point, I believe the mother must have started feeling quite embarrassed with the consistent stare, I wish I had the gods to walk up to those people and order them to leave her alone.
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I really can't tell if this baby was obese because I do not know about her weight, but physically seeing, the baby was on the big side, prompted me to read more about obesity and I was shocked to find that, it was not a rare situation at all, in fact close to 20% infants are classified as being obese.
Body mass index (BMI) measures body fat based on weight and height. Infants are measured using length, and those who have a high BMI would most likely grow to become obese children, if not handled properly, these children who have become obese have higher chances of having weight-related health issues and even grow up to become obese adults.
The issue of obesity in infants is a rather recent development, and it is not so easy to predict the risk of having an obese infant, most obese infants most likely have parents who are obese as well. Mothers with some form of health issue like diabetes, have a higher chance of having an obese infant.
Maternal weight also has a significant contribution in this topic, it increases the chances of gestational complications, as it increases the chances of having a baby being bigger than normal gestational age. Expectant mothers have to significantly watch their weight as it helps curb complications like; childhood obesity, gestational diabetes, miscarriage, preterm birth, childhood asthma, birth defects, and preeclampsia.
Bear in mind that, babies need a diet that is high in fat to support their infancy growth, and when a baby is exclusively breastfed, he or she gets half of his or her daily calories from the fat present in breast milk. As much as you want a chubby baby, you have to know that, excessive fat and calories can be a major concern, it could delay your child from crawling and walking.
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Formula-fed infants are usually larger than breastfed infants at the end of their first year of life.
In keeping your baby's weight healthy;
Research suggests that breastfeeding reduces the chances of childhood obesity. Mothers should also watch their weight gain during pregnancy as it affects the risk of childhood obesity. When you begin to introduce food to your child, resist the urge of sugar-sweetened drinks, and offer nutritious whole fruits and vegetables instead.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents are encouraged to limit media use, the more TV your child watches, there is an increased chance of being overweight. Every cry from your baby is not a sign of hunger, you can offer calmness through other needs of the child.
Research also shows, obesity to be more common in children who live in under-resourced communities, experience stigma or discrimination, live in under-resourced communities, and are a part of families that have immigrated, I believe this is because of the high-calorie consumption.
Usually, there is an amount of calories needed for growth and development, but when your child takes in more calories than required, the body begins to store excess calories as body fats. Every child's situation and body are unique in their own right also, some children are at a higher risk of weight gain than others, this means sometimes, it isn't even about what the child consumes, in this case, it is just a natural occurrence.
Obesity in an infant should not be taken lightly as it could be a risk of other underlying health conditions, we have situations like; Hormonal imbalances, hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, hypothalamic tumor, Cushing syndrome, and growth hormone deficiency.
Although these conditions are rare, they can also contribute to a case of child obesity. Bardet-Beidl syndrome, Alstrom syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and congenital leptin. Certain medications like second-generation antipsychotics and corticosteroids can also increase the chances of obesity and overweight in a child.
Obesity in a child is not a good thing, obese children have a higher chance of having health complications, the most common possible ones being; dyslipidemia, prediabetes, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, joint pain, depression, obstructive sleep apnea, heart disease, low self-esteem, depression, Blount's disease, and nonalcohol-related fatty liver disease.
The possibility of a child's weight affecting the health of the child can be determined by medical experts and can be observed during the usual routine test. Obesity treatment programs often consist of different health professionals coming together to provide help to affected people.
As you already know by now if you have read up till this point, obesity is not only about feeding, it also has to do with genes and other factors. However, parents also need to watch the eating habits of their children, and provide them with meals that help them maintain a healthy lifestyle, you can also go to a nutritionist to get some counseling.
For Further Studies
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6800095/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9467-obesity-in-children
https://www.healthline.com/health/baby/fat-babies#causes
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.
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