“Start obesity prevention in the cradle” study urges

A team of US doctors has revealed that obesity starts in the cradle for some infants.

When weight gain exceeds average patterns of growth in the first three months of age it may lead to infant obesity. The causes can be start before birth itself. Excessive weight gain, untreated gestational diabetes or smoking during pregnancy are some of the risk factors for infant obesity. Therefore it is essential to monitor weight of both mother and child during prenatal check ups.

Some quick tips to keep the infant weight under control:

1)Breast feed: Breast fed infants usually weigh less than formula fed infants by the time they reach late infancy. Formula is more sweeter than breast milk and so it leads to weight gain. Formula milk may lead to unnecessary sweet cravings for the baby at a later stage

2)An infant should be fed no more than once in every 2 hours depending on its weight.

3)Do not force the infant to continue feeding even when she is full.

These are some general tips to prevent infant obesity. But one needs to check up with a pediatrician to know the ideal feeding pattern for your baby which solely depends upon your babies growth and weight.