iHV Parent Tips How to Prevent your Child Becoming Overweight Research shows that breastfeeding helps mums to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight if they breastfeed for 3-4 months or more (and the longer you breastfeed the greater the benefits for both Mum and baby’s health). Also, breastfed babies are less likely to be overweight in later life. If you’re bottle feeding your baby it’s very important to make up feeds using exactly the amount of milk powder recommended - adding even a small amount of extra powder to bottles over-concentrates your baby’s feed and provides too many calories. Never force your baby to finish the milk in their bottle – let them lead on how much they want at each feed and remember this may vary from feed to feed and from day to day. If your baby seems very hungry and you’re considering using a ‘hungry baby’ formula, discuss this with your Health Visitor first. If your baby has reflux they may be comfort feeding a lot but giving them a hungry baby formula might cause even more vomiting. Lots of babies simply need just a little more of their usual formula to meet their needs. If you’re concerned about your baby’s feeding pattern speak to your Health Visitor for advice. More information on Page 2 Supported by NHS For additional fact sheets see www.ihv.org.uk The information in this fact sheet was correct on 2.6.14. © Institute of Health Visiting 2014 The Start4Life Information Service for Parents provides free information and advice. Find out more at: bit.ly/1iC4rrO iHV Parent Tips How to Prevent your Child Becoming Overweight Encourage your little one to be active – tummy time, crawling and active play, both inside and out, are important in helping to prevent your baby or toddler from becoming overweight. Toddlers should be active for at least 3 hours a day, and young children who have limited screen time and get a good’s night sleep are also more likely to be a normal weight. When you’re weaning your baby, start with savoury tastes and introduce a range of flavours and textures. Babies who are offered a variety of foods to try (and who are offered them again, even if they didn’t seem to like a particular thing the first time around) and see other family members enjoy different foods are more likely to become good, healthy eaters themselves. Lots of widely available foods are not suitable for children under 5, such as ready meals, take-aways, salty snacks and foods which contain artificial colours and sweeteners. Most fast food comes in ‘one size only’ portions and these are not likely to be the right amount for children under 5. Remember that if you’re worried about your child’s weight or have any questions relating to weaning or healthy eating your Health Visitor will be happy to offer you tips and advice. You might also like to take a look at the links below for additional information. More information: Encourage your little one to become an independent eater. Allow them to eat to their own appetite, sitting with the rest of the family at mealtimes. Never force your child to finish the food they have been given, or use food as a reward or punishment - this may lead to your child turning to food to tackle emotional issues later in life. Change4life is packed with helpful tips on healthy eating for all ages: Eating lots of energy-dense snacks between meals (such as crisps, sweets, biscuits, cakes and ice cream) can mean young children eat too many calories for their energy needs and end up refusing healthier foods at mealtimes. Think of snacks for young children as ‘mini-meals’ that provide important nutrients and choose healthy options such as fruit and vegetables, plain milk or yoghurt, or savoury sandwiches. You can find ideas for healthy and nutritious snacks at bit.ly/1q4W9hD Sign up for email advice on healthy eating for pregnancy and for babies and toddlers using this helpful service: bit.ly/UGjhIG The Eat Better, Start Better programme has been designed to help young children eat well: bit.ly/UGjiMW bit.ly/1ngWoDC Young children who drink sweetened drinks (such as squashes, fizzy drinks, fruit juices and milkshakes) are more likely to be overweight than children who don’t. Plain milk and water are the best drinks to offer young children and they don’t damage teeth, either. Supported by NHS For additional fact sheets see www.ihv.org.uk The information in this fact sheet was correct on 2.6.14. © Institute of Health Visiting 2014 The Start4Life Information Service for Parents provides free information and advice. Find out more at: bit.ly/1iC4rrO