In the United States, approximately 14.7 million children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are living obesity, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Since children living with obesity are at greater risk for a number of long-term health consequences such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, early identification of risk behaviors is crucial. Pediatricians and other health professionals have opportunities to provide guidance on healthy eating, sleep and physical activity with families however, these preventative efforts are often limited by the brief time available during well child visits.
But could the routines that shape a child's weight trajectory be set much earlier?
A new study from researchers at Penn State, published in JAMA Network Open, suggests that a handful of routines around feeding, sleep and play during the first two months of an infant's life can be linked to higher weight just a few months later. The researchers analyzed data gathered from the Early Healthy Lifestyles (EHL) screening tool - a tool designed to identify child appetite, feeding, sleep and play routines linked to child weight outcomes - and demonstrated that it could help pediatricians and nutritionists working with families with young infants provide more personalized guidance during well child visits.
The findings could help pediatricians and other health care providers pinpoint risk behaviors for obesity. By identifying specific areas where families might benefit from personalized support, health professionals can promote responsive caregiving and improve a child's health from the very start, the researchers said.
