home
RSS
February 16th, 2010
10:13 AM ET

When is your chubby baby too chubby?

By Caitlin Hagan
CNN Medical Associate Producer

A new study published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics has concluded that "the critical period for preventing childhood obesity...is during the first two years of a child's life and for many by three months of age." It's the first study to identify a so-called "tipping point" in a child's development of obesity. This new finding comes as first lady Michelle Obama is targeting childhood obesity in a new national initiative Let's Move.

"We've been struggling with the older kids, ages 6 to 8, who are already way overweight," says Dr. John W. Harrington of Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. "And at that age, it's too difficult to change eating habits."

Harrington and his team set out to determine the point at which a child's weight gain becomes unhealthy and leads to overweight.

"We backtracked and said, 'When did this weight first happen?'" says Harrington. "Since the age of 3 or 4 months, these children were overweight as babies...they had normal growth but their weights were averaging well above their heights."

By identifying when the weight gain first develops, Harrington believes pediatricians will be able to intervene early to change poor eating habits in babies and toddlers on track to becoming overweight.

But the study doesn't change the old adage that a chubby baby is still a healthy baby, especially since babies need extra fat for brain, eye, and nerve development. But Harrington argues that babies need less fat in their diets than was once thought.

"Parents feel the need to feed the child; feed them, feed them, feed them" says Harrington. "But they're not watching what the child is doing."

The key for parents is to pay attention to simple cues to ensure that they're not overfeeding their baby. For example, when a baby stops suckling while being breastfed or pulls his face away from his bottle, he may be too full to want more formula even if he's had only half of his usual serving.

Another cue is to watch how frequently your baby drools while feeding. Drooling from the side of his mouth could signal he's eaten enough.

"Your baby can control their eating habits" says Harrington. "And if you allow them to do that, they can control what they take in."

Harrington suggests a feeding schedule of 2 to 3 ounces per feeding during the first few weeks of your baby's life. That should increase to 5 to 6 ounces per feeding by your baby's 6-month mark. But he also cautions that all parents should consult with their peditrician about any concerns they have about feeding practices or their baby's weight.

Do you worry about your baby's weight? How often are you feeding your child?

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.


soundoff (1,828 Responses)
  1. slot online

    Every weekend i used to pay a quick visit this website, because i
    wish for enjoyment, for the reason that this
    this web site conations actually fastidious funny information too.

    April 27, 2021 at 22:33 | Report abuse | Reply
  2. PrestonAbede

    buy viagra online in usa supreme suppliers mumbai india cheapest viagra prices online

    April 27, 2021 at 23:13 | Report abuse | Reply
  3. Bola88

    Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post!
    It is the little changes which will make the biggest
    changes. Many thanks for sharing!

    April 28, 2021 at 03:02 | Report abuse | Reply
  4. high risk merchant account

    Hi, the whole thing is going fine here and ofcourse every one is
    sharing facts, that's actually good, keep up writing.

    April 28, 2021 at 05:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  5. XUGJVuxCxF

    need help geometry homework how to do a college essay san jose public library homework help workout while doing homework

    April 28, 2021 at 05:43 | Report abuse | Reply
  6. Thomashig

    skypharmacy

    April 28, 2021 at 06:28 | Report abuse | Reply
  7. Richardbak

    order cipro online supreme suppliers [url=http://canadianpharcharmyonline.net/]canadian pharmacies[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacycanadaprescriptions.com/]canadian pharmacy 24h[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersindia.com/]order cipro online supreme suppliers[/url] [url=http://cialisfreesamples.com/]cialis samples[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacyca.com/]online pharmacy[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersmumbai.com/]canadian pharmacy cialis[/url] [url=http://canadianpharmacyonlinewithoutscript.com/]canadian no script pharmacy[/url] [url=http://canadianhealthandcaremallscam.com/]Legitimate Canadian Mail Order Pharmacies[/url] [url=http://edmedicationsonlinebuy.com/]10 best ed pills review[/url] [url=http://retinawithoutaprescription.com/]buy tretinoin cream 0.025[/url]

    April 28, 2021 at 06:28 | Report abuse | Reply
  8. CharlesGlalf

    maxifort zimax sildenafil 50 mg maxifort zimax sildenafil 50 mg

    April 28, 2021 at 07:03 | Report abuse | Reply
  9. Neal

    I've been surfing online more than 2 hours today, yet I
    never found any interesting article like yours.
    It's pretty worth enough for me. Personally,
    if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the internet will be a lot more useful
    than ever before.

    April 28, 2021 at 07:37 | Report abuse | Reply
  10. canadian meds cialis

    how can i order cialis from a canadian pharmacy https://canadacialisstore.com/ canadian pharmacy cialis without prescription

    April 28, 2021 at 07:40 | Report abuse | Reply
  11. Police

    I have been ssurfing online more than 2 hours today,
    yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It's pretty worth
    enough for me. In my view, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content
    as you did, the net will be a lot more useful than ever before.

    April 28, 2021 at 07:43 | Report abuse | Reply
  12. ThomasBot

    tadalafil canadian pharmacy online

    April 28, 2021 at 07:50 | Report abuse | Reply
  13. anasuyabharadwaj

    Thanks for finally tallking about > When iis ykur chubby babby too chubby?

    – The Chart – CNN.com Blogs < Liked it!

    April 28, 2021 at 14:57 | Report abuse | Reply
  14. MatthewWar

    [url=http://buyingnizagaraonline.com/]nizagara cheap [/url]

    April 28, 2021 at 15:13 | Report abuse | Reply
  15. BrucePaumn

    cialis without a doctor's prescription cialis without prescription

    April 28, 2021 at 16:07 | Report abuse | Reply
  16. PrestonAbede

    viagra for sales supreme suppliers viagra generic viagra lowest prices

    April 28, 2021 at 16:53 | Report abuse | Reply
  17. News

    Right away I aam going away to do my breakfast,
    when having my breakfast coming again to read other news.

    April 28, 2021 at 20:21 | Report abuse | Reply
  18. Richardbak

    online pharmacy [url=http://canadianpharcharmyonline.net/]canadian pharmacy without prescritption[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacycanadaprescriptions.com/]northwest pharmacy canada[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersindia.com/]supreme suppliers mumbai india[/url] [url=http://cialisfreesamples.com/]free cialis samples[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacyca.com/]canadian pharmacies[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersmumbai.com/]supreme suppliers viagra[/url] [url=http://canadianpharmacyonlinewithoutscript.com/]paxil canada pharmacy no perscription[/url] [url=http://canadianhealthandcaremallscam.com/]Home Page[/url] [url=http://edmedicationsonlinebuy.com/]ed generics online[/url] [url=http://retinawithoutaprescription.com/]retin a without prescription usa[/url]

    April 28, 2021 at 21:10 | Report abuse | Reply
  19. Thomashig

    sky pharmacy online drugstore review

    April 28, 2021 at 21:10 | Report abuse | Reply
  20. CharlesGlalf

    buy maxifort buy maxifort

    April 28, 2021 at 22:01 | Report abuse | Reply
  21. ThomasBot

    canadian pharmacy online cialis

    April 28, 2021 at 22:51 | Report abuse | Reply
  22. avanafil

    buy avana online avanafil 50

    April 28, 2021 at 23:46 | Report abuse | Reply
  23. Unblocked

    Hi my friend! I wish to say that this post is awesome, great written and include
    almost all significant infos. I'd like to look extra posts like this .

    April 29, 2021 at 05:26 | Report abuse | Reply
  24. chloroquine phosphate tablets

    chloroquine malaria https://chloroquineorigin.com/ chloroguine

    April 29, 2021 at 05:58 | Report abuse | Reply
  25. MatthewWar

    [url=http://buyingnizagaraonline.com/]nizagara cheapest[/url]

    April 29, 2021 at 06:09 | Report abuse | Reply
  26. PrestonAbede

    viagra for men supreme suppliers india viagra generic super viagra pill

    April 29, 2021 at 09:48 | Report abuse | Reply
  27. BrucePaumn

    cialis no prescription needed cialis pills online 5mg no prescription

    April 29, 2021 at 09:52 | Report abuse | Reply
  28. Richardbak

    supreme suppliers india viagra [url=http://canadianpharcharmyonline.net/]canadian pharmacy no prescription[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacycanadaprescriptions.com/]canadianpharmacy[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersindia.com/]online pharmacy[/url] [url=http://cialisfreesamples.com/]cialis free samples[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacyca.com/]northwest pharmacy canada[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersmumbai.com/]supreme suppliers[/url] [url=http://canadianpharmacyonlinewithoutscript.com/]canadian pharmacies mail order[/url] [url=http://canadianhealthandcaremallscam.com/]Home Page[/url] [url=http://edmedicationsonlinebuy.com/]best erectile dysfunction pills[/url] [url=http://retinawithoutaprescription.com/]tretinoin cream 0.1 at wholesale[/url]

    April 29, 2021 at 11:38 | Report abuse | Reply
  29. Thomashig

    skypharmacy online

    April 29, 2021 at 11:39 | Report abuse | Reply
  30. oPESfSeQWb

    buy phd thesis pay someone write essay writing android service essay order uk

    April 29, 2021 at 12:29 | Report abuse | Reply
  31. CharlesGlalf

    maxifort online maxifort 50 mg

    April 29, 2021 at 12:55 | Report abuse | Reply
  32. diamond

    Idoo not know if it's just mee oor if everyone else experiencing issues with your website.
    It appears as though some of the text within your posts arre running
    off the screen. Can somebody else please comment and let me
    know if this is happening to them too? This could bee a problem with my internet browser because I've had this happen before.
    Kudos

    April 29, 2021 at 16:02 | Report abuse | Reply
  33. Cinema

    Fanastic web site. Lots of helpful info here.
    I'm sending it to some pals aans also sharing in delicious.
    And naturally, thank you tto your effort!

    April 29, 2021 at 17:18 | Report abuse | Reply
  34. Viral

    Very soon this web page will be famous among all blogging and site-building people, due to
    it's good content

    April 29, 2021 at 17:22 | Report abuse | Reply
  35. MatthewWar

    [url=http://buyingnizagaraonline.com/]buying nizagara on line[/url]

    April 29, 2021 at 20:59 | Report abuse | Reply
  36. slot online

    I couldn't refrain from commenting. Exceptionally well written!

    April 30, 2021 at 00:20 | Report abuse | Reply
  37. canadian pharmacy 5 mg daily cialis

    cialis at canadian pharmacy https://canadacialisstore.com/ how safe and reliable are canadian cialis

    April 30, 2021 at 02:13 | Report abuse | Reply
  38. Richardbak

    supreme supplies in india [url=http://canadianpharcharmyonline.net/]canadian pharmacies that accept paypal[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacycanadaprescriptions.com/]northwestern canada drugs[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersindia.com/]supreme suppliers in india[/url] [url=http://cialisfreesamples.com/]cialis free samples[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacyca.com/]canada pharmacy 24h[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersmumbai.com/]supreme suppliers mumbai[/url] [url=http://canadianpharmacyonlinewithoutscript.com/]canadian prescription pharmacy[/url] [url=http://canadianhealthandcaremallscam.com/]Click Here[/url] [url=http://edmedicationsonlinebuy.com/]canada drug ed medication[/url] [url=http://retinawithoutaprescription.com/]retin a without a prescription[/url]

    April 30, 2021 at 02:18 | Report abuse | Reply
  39. Thomashig

    canadian pharmacies mail order

    April 30, 2021 at 02:18 | Report abuse | Reply
  40. CharlesGlalf

    maxifort zimax 100 mg maxifort

    April 30, 2021 at 04:04 | Report abuse | Reply
  41. BrucePaumn

    cialis online without prescription cialis without a doctors prescription

    April 30, 2021 at 04:30 | Report abuse | Reply
  42. ThomasBot

    northwestern canada drugs

    April 30, 2021 at 04:57 | Report abuse | Reply
  43. Richardbak

    supremesuppliers [url=http://canadianpharcharmyonline.net/]canadian pharmacy no prescription[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacycanadaprescriptions.com/]northwestern canada drugs[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersindia.com/]supreme suppliers in india[/url] [url=http://cialisfreesamples.com/]viagra and cialis sample pack[/url] [url=http://northwestpharmacyca.com/]northwestern canada drugs[/url] [url=http://supremesuppliersmumbai.com/]supremesuppliersmumbai.com[/url] [url=http://canadianpharmacyonlinewithoutscript.com/]no script canadian pharmacy[/url] [url=http://canadianhealthandcaremallscam.com/]canadianhealthandcaremallscam.com[/url] [url=http://edmedicationsonlinebuy.com/]online ed meds[/url] [url=http://retinawithoutaprescription.com/]where to buy tretinoin cream[/url]

    April 30, 2021 at 17:09 | Report abuse | Reply
  44. CharlesGlalf

    maxifort maxifort zimax mexico

    April 30, 2021 at 19:09 | Report abuse | Reply
  45. XnsGxYxRSv

    restraining order essay best college application essay ever york essay help homework help phone number

    April 30, 2021 at 19:29 | Report abuse | Reply
  46. BrucePaumn

    cialis without a doctor's prescription online no scrip cialis

    April 30, 2021 at 23:09 | Report abuse | Reply
  47. MatthewWar

    [url=http://buyingnizagaraonline.com/]order nizagara online[/url]

    May 1, 2021 at 02:47 | Report abuse | Reply
  48. canadian viagra cialis

    canadian pharmacy tadalafil viagara cialis https://canadacialisstore.com/ canadian pharmacy cialis without prescription

    May 1, 2021 at 05:19 | Report abuse | Reply
  49. famemedia.marketing

    I was able to find good info from your blog posts.

    May 1, 2021 at 10:35 | Report abuse | Reply
  50. ThomasBot

    canadian online pharmacies

    May 1, 2021 at 11:08 | Report abuse | Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Leave a Reply to BrucePaumn


 

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

Advertisement
About this blog

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.