I completely agree. I brought a foster child, half Native American, in for her first checkup (with me) at 8 months. She was spitting up a lot, but didn't seem unhappy, still it bothered me. This was my first baby, and I'd had her less than a month. Obviously, breastfeeding wasn't an option.

The doctor put her on Nutramigen (however that is spelled) and she got even worse. I finally looked at the ingredients. It contained over 50% corn syrup solids! Native Americans have a huge diabetes risk already, but then to give a child 50% corn syrup for every meal!!!

Shortly before this doctor visit, I had run out of formula one night, and in desperation, gave her diluted cow's milk. She liked it, and never spit up a drop. I changed her over to it immediately after reading the ingredients of the doctor recommended formula.

I later was told that cow milk has too much sodium for a child under one year. Hopefully she isn't damaged for life, but I thought that her body seemed to be telling me which was the healthier option for her.

God save us all from well-intentioned doctors and the profit-based pharmaceautical industry!

I'm not arguing with your choice, but cow's milk is also too high in protein which can affect the baby's kidney's. Just something to be aware of. Goat's milk was used for generations when babies didn't breastfeed and formula wasn't an option.

these babies are obese because of HAPPY MEALS..........

not palin stupid parents

Childhood obesity has increased while the percent of breastfeeding has increased. So does breastfeeding cause obesity? This is much more complex than the breastfeeding v. formula conversation.

The rise in breastfeeding has happened at the same time that chemical companies have created whole new product lines of convenience foods for babies and toddlers.

Kids need healthy food. Not canned, preserved, processed, fried, sweetened garbage. Most moms who nurse are not going to give their kids fries and soda or doughnuts for breakfast.

Moms who are used to picking up a can off the shelf and mixing a bottle, are used to "convenience" food. Next, just grab a couple of plastic containers of pureed something-or-other and some strawberry flavored finger-food snacks. They are all on the same aisle. No need to think about it. We are trained consumers. Trained to let others do the thinking for us. We need to be Educated Consumers, and know what we are feeding our families.

My 3-month old baby's pediatrician wrote in her medical record that she was "extremely obese," even though she was exclusively breast-fed until 5 months old. She had no detectable health problems.

Breastfeeding does not allow for portion control; the baby should stop feeding when it's satisfied. However, she was a hungry baby and with the doctor's permission, we added baby oatmeal at month 5 and by month 6, pureed vegetables and fruits.

At one year, she was still heavy and the pediatrician advised us to put her on lowfat cow's milk, switching to nonfat milk when she turned four.

I don't think she even tried a french fry until she was five and at her aunt's house. Fast food was rare and chosen carefully. Healthy low-fat, low sugar, and whole grain foods and plenty of activities and sports trimmed her down to normal weight.

I kept a copy of the pediatrician's note about her being "extremely obese" for amusement.

I later learned that older and more experienced pediatricians would have looked at the parents, seen that they were trim and healthy, and not worried about the baby so early. He did, though, ask us if we were fat babies... and yes we were.

My son, who is now 10, would have been classified as extremely obese as an infant. He was exclusively breastfed for most of his first year. He was always very healthy and never sick. Once he hit about a year old, he slimmed out and has been very fit and healthy. Unless you are feeding a baby junk food, I do not see how you could classify a baby as too fat. Our doctor told us not too worry genetics and diet would determine body weight in the end, not just being a "fat" baby.

Okla Mom, I can't agree more! I was disturbed when I started reading labels in the baby "food" aisle. I briefly purchased organic stage one food for my daughter, but quickly realized it that it was far less expensive to make my own. Plus green beans that I cooked and pureed myself actually taste like...green beans! All that jarred stuff tastes like, well, not much of anything.

Pre-packaged toddler food is just an abomination. I wouldn't let my child get any closer to that than McDonald's (which the "poor" two year old has never had).

Those puffs you're talking about appear to me to be repackaged Cheetos. It's the same basic corn puff with fruit flavors instead of cheese powder. Yuck! My child did just fine with plain Cheerios.

OklaMom

Again, Im not argueing against fresh food. But pureed canned perserved baby food has been around and been a staple for many many years. Its pervasive use was well before the obesity issues that we have now. There is no simple cause and effect link, since the time frames dont work.

Im for fresh wholesome food, but to blame the current childhood obesity epidemic simply on preserved food is a little naive.

bspurloc, what does palin have to do with this? keep your obsession to yourself, moron.

speaking of morons, this is yet another stupid study, kids under a yr old spend most of their time sleeping, eating and filling diapers. next they'll have baby treadmills and guilt parents into buying them. thanks msn for printing every bs story that comes along.

OH MY GOSH!!!!So now you can't have a chubby baby. It's a BABY. He/she will lose the weight as they get older. If not THEN blame the parents. At 9 months old, it should be ok to weigh 14 or 15 pounds. It's baby fat. Is it ok to weigh 60 pounds at age 7 or 8, of course not. Let's lighten up people before we are surrounded by so many rules and laws that we won't have any room to breathe in and out without bumping someone. Enough already!!!!!

@Okla Mom - the only problem I see with having given the baby cow's milk at 9 months is that their bodies are unable to digest the proteins, which could later lead to them being lactose intolerant.

@whut the - I agree that this is a silly article, seeing as it even says that there is really no reason to believe that a chubby baby does not necessarily lead to a chubby kid. However, I find your sayign that if a baby at 9 months old weighs 14 or 15 pounds, they may be considered heavy, but that is okay, but not 60 pounds at 7 or 8. What the article says is that children who are above 85% are considered to be overweight, and 95% to be obese, in relation to height. My children weighed more than 15 pounds at 3 months old, of course, they were also 26 inches long at that time. My barely 7 year old weighs 58 pounds and is so thin that we cannot find pants to stay up on him, but then again, he is also 4 foot 3. You cannot really judge a child based on weight at a specific age, you also have to consider height.

Amen!

But, the rate of obesity has gone up while the rate of breastfeeding has gone up. This is much more complex than simply a debate of breastfeeding v. formula. There are obviously other factors involved.

Phoenix

I totally agree with you comment regarding juice. It is nothing but sugar. Also, many toddlers are now drinking sports drink...salt and sugar. We have only let our little kids drink water when they are thirsty.

your parents stuffed a cupcake in your mouth for falling down? and adult size portions? where are these parents?

...

Bravo!

You can take Doctor's advice with a grain of salt. Mom knows best most often. Doctors are not gods and are fallible. Good for you, supporting your daughter. I actually had to send a copy of a page from my baby book showing my own height/weight growth chart to show my doctor because he wanted to refer my daughter to a pediatric endocrinologist. He eyed her (he had a daughter the same age) and just "thought" she may have some form of giantism or something. Lol, he looked at me at 5'9", slim and healthy, looked at my old growth chart, and said oh, ok. Never mind. Today my 14 year old daughter is a perfect bodied, slim, replica of myself.

Mom's, trust yourselves! And ya, no fruit juice. What are you people thinking, it's pure sugar??

Okla Mom: Maybe you had the same Army pediatrician that wrote my baby was "extremely obese" at three months even though she was only breastfeeding and otherwise healthy.

I knew a Mom from Nepal. Sherpa. Very tiny. as was her husband. Their daughter's school nurse fussed and fussed because their daughter was too small. Nearly accused them of neglect because she wasn't as big as the other children. I told her to look the nurse right in her navel and tell her to LOOK at her and Dad and then get a clue. btw, this was in Fairfax County, Virginia, right outside D.C. You'd think with all the different people around there, there would be some bit of awareness. guess not.

In addition, where do these researchers get off? Haven't we just been through a 'relearning' curve about making sure babies get full-fat? I'm pretty old now and don't remember, but doesn't breast milk have about 60% fat? And those who give cow milk are supposed to make sure it's whole milk up to about age 2? I wonder who funded this research.

I disagree that it is stupid. My family also starts big and chubby and ends up tall and slim. However, what I find best in this article is the image of parents feeding french fries to toddlers, and juice/pop in bottles. I just think it's crazy, if you were an alien observing us and just wondering why the heck we don't see what the problem is... of course our children are getting fat, mirroring what we eat. I just envision fat momma eating french fries dipped in ketchup at a fast food table, kid toddles up and mom shares. This is the most natural thing for us to do, you can envision cave momma sharing her hard won turnips with the baby 10,000 years ago. Our babies are just growing the way they are supposed to, mirroring us. Start with yourselves, huh?

I fed my newborn Happy Meals from hour 1 and she was grossly obese by the 12th hour. by the 13th hour I had sued McDonalds for causing my newborn to be obese. it took 19years later to finally get San Fran to outlaw Happy Meals so other newborns wouldnt be subjected to obesity by the 12th hour. thank you all u huggy soccer moms for finally seeing my plight

Dawn, You are exactly right, but the the problem is not everyone gives their children a healthy diet. Sometimes well-meaning grandparents can be the worst. They give my children diet soda, 'diet' flavored yogurt, diet butter, corn syrup on their oatmeal, ice cream, candy (lots!), white bread and the list goes on. I cringe at what I see them feeding my kids, but just hope that a little won't hurt them too much.

PS My folks kept telling me that I wasn't giving my child enough breast milk, and I should change over to formula. I didn't have much fat in my milk, and he was mostly a thin, but not underweight, baby. He was high-maintenance, and wanted to nurse all the time. He was weaned at 17 months. Still, he seems healthy and happy at nearly four, and prefers to pick and eat veggies in the garden, rather than eating meat. But he will take any sweets he can get his hands on! ; )

I see no problem in giving healthy children artificially-sweetened beverages or lowfat/nonfat dairy products. There has been too much non-scientific alarmist warnings about sweeteners, even the newer/safer Splenda and Stevia.

However, I agree that babies and toddlers should avoid candy, undiluted juice, and sodas entirely. Sugarfree products and reduced fat / nonfat foods are usually better choices.

I have a huge problem with my child consuming anything that involves the word artificial! You do what you want to your own children, but if you were my child's grandparent/cargiver, we would have a fight on our hands if you disrepected that wish. Food should come from nature, not factories. I don't see how you can argue with that.

ttmadison, that you lump Splenda and Stevia together is an indication that you need to go back to the books. and, dare I say it, quit listening to agribusiness.

I think that we are overreacting to children and their normal growth spurts. My daughter was overweight as an infant 8 pounds 16oz at birth and overweight through her toddler years, she did not eat happy meals nor was she breast fed because I was a working mom. Through much research and trips to the endocrinologist it was discovered to be hereditary Precocious Puberty. My daugher is now 18 years old a stand out college athelete and weight is not an issue. Let's let the babies be babies.

th

No one said "diet." To my knowledge, it is never reccomended that children be put on diets. However, if there appears to be a weight issue, it doesn't hurt to tweek what and how much the kid is consuming (which is exactly what the article discussed). That is not a diet, my friend, that is a lifestyle change. It's how healthy people keep their weight in check.

whether the article said diet directly or not it does imply we should be concidering a diet for babies, hence obese babies. how can you be obese as an infant?i am pretty sure 6-9 month old are not eating happy meals and concerned about lifestyle changes. babies that age are only just starting on solids and still on breastmilk/formula. sorry but this is not a lifestyle change my friend, it's a baby. babies get fat then they thin out as they grow.

Breastfed babies can and do overeat once they are eating foods - your logic is flawed. This is especially true of toddlers and babies who "graze" throughout the day. (Most of the time, when this happens, they're not "grazing" on anything healthy, either.)

The article was incomplete as was the study, but the basics are legit. Some fat babies outgrow their baby fat. Some thin babies become obese toddlers. Some bits are genetics; some bits are environment. It's not a reason to completely discount the study - the article, maybe, but not the study.

I don't think the basics, as presented in the article, can be called 'legitimate'. While it's true that some fat babies grow up to be fat toddlers and some don't - that's not really science, it's statistics.

I agree with MaraRD that rather than simply trotting out the obesity boogyman, what would have been useful is examining the differences in eating/activity patterns between kids that stayed obese and kids that didn't. I think the trends would tell you that kids fed a lot of juice and processed foods and kids that spent a lot of time sitting in front of a tv or computer screen were generally the ones whose weight issues persisted. You wouldn't think people need a study to tell them this, but there you go...

Well, there you go. Karo. And what's Karo? Corn Syrup. Read the studies on that?

Your well-intentioned doctors put you on the wrong track by way of misguiding your parents - not easy to undo. I wish you the best in your battles to overcome what ignorance did to you as a baby.

And some here think there's no causal link with infancy.....

Interesting. my Mom and pediatrician thought I was too thin. I got what my Mom called 'hungry pills.' they were wafers about an inch in diameter and tasted like walnuts. I have had severe weight issues since about age 8. can't tell you how many times I've wished my Mom had not listened to that doctor.

Hate to burst your 140 IQ bubble, but my 140 IQ (not that impressive at all, really) is going to tell you that as a parent, obesity in infancy is a horrible problem and can be an indicator of juvenile diabetes - a rising problem.

And for the record, the DHA & ARA additives in most formulas is QUITE dangerous and was never "approved" by the FDA - they just stopped asking questions. If you're bored, read the report on cornucopia.org.

While some wives tales have merit, others are complete garbage. Vinegar does work on a jelly fish sting. And ketchup will neutralize the odor of a skunk on a dog. BUT, a fat baby does not a healthy baby make.

I was an "average" sized baby. I was likely underweight until my late 20's. Yes, weights vary and genetics play a part, but we also have to take responsibility for the fact that we feed our kids crap and expect their bodies to overcome it - which makes no sense.

I was only able to produce milk for about 5 weeks. And my sister has Sjogren's. So what about folks like us?

I use Baby's Only Organic and it's been a God-send. My sister actually cooks her own formula from raw cow's milk (and it's been evaluated by the doctors at the children's hospital in DC and deemed safe/healthy).

Should I feed my child someone else's breastmilk?!?! Um, no. I don't think so. I do the best I can for my child, but that isn't on the list anywhere since breastmilk is like blood as far as what it can pass (think pathogens here) and then some.

My child is healthy, not overweight; and I don't think you understand that some people simply CANNOT breastfeed - it's not a matter of anything else. I cried and cried as I tried to feed my baby. Then, my milk dried and I felt like I had failed her. No information or support helped me with this nor would it have.

While many do choose not to try to breastfeed their babies out of lack of information or support, you're insinuating this is the only group out there using formula and that is incorrect and unfair. Many make their formula "thick" or add cereal to "get the baby to sleep". Many more move off of formula too soon or push sweet foods and junk rather than the more costly veggies. Please don't think that it's all to do with formula - that's a part of the equation, but not the biggest part.

And I work with these moms who do these things, by the way. They learn these "tricks" from their moms who got them from their moms. It's a generation thing and it's also shared between friends - and these practices do no good for the babies whatsoever.

There used to be wet nurses.

neither blood or breast milk contain pathogens...that's the weirdest statement I've read in a while. Besides, a little bacteria is good for all of us including infants as long as it's not a pathogen.

@IamwhoIam -

If I was unable to breastfeed I would look to donor milk if I could find it before I'd use formula.

Yes there may be (small) risks associated with donor milk (although if you go through a milk bank, the milk is screened...) but what people tend to forget is there are serious, tangible risks that come with formula too!

Your baby, your business. You get to determine which risky behavior you're ok with, and which you are not. It's none of my business how you feed your kid. Nor would I question your inability to breastfeed beyond 5 weeks.

However, I will note, there are SO many women who make the same claim, yet the actual number of women who truly *cannot* make breastmilk, or cannot make enough, is extraordinarily small. Normally, "can't" actually = was utterly derailed by bad advice from ignorant medical professionals/family/friends, unreasonable expectations & overall lack of support.

It's not just portion control - it's quality AND quantity. And the biggest part is children who "graze". I give specific snack times and meal times - and supplement as needed for "growth spurts". BUT I do not let my baby graze - which my in-laws do allow. Needless to say, all 3 of my sister-in-law's kids battle with their weight and the eldest is only 13 (the heaviest is 11). And they all LOVE fries and nuggets. I don't want my child eating that crap, but I also don't want her snacking on Cheerios or crackers all day either.

I agree with it being both quantity AND quality. Quality does, in part, determines how long food will keep you full. If I eat a donut for breakfast, I'm going to be hungrier sooner than if I eat a bowl of (non-sugary) cereal.

If you feed a kid sugary cereal, lunchables and soda they may very well feel hungry more often (while taking in as many or more calories) than a kid who is raised on veggies, whole grains, lean meats and milk.

I don't think the biggest problem is 'grazing' at all, I think the problem is the types of food the kids are fed.

Whenever my kids are hungry, they get a little snack (assuming it's not almost a mealtime), but the key is that it's a healthy snack. It's not candy, chips, juice, or french fries, it's an apple, grapes, or whole wheat crackers. I feel that letting them guide their eating times (within reason) keeps them in tune with their hunger cues.

So I'm definitively in the 'quality' camp because most healthy children with self-regulate when offered healthy foods - as long as we adults don't mess with it by using food as a reward or insisting on clean plates and so forth.

nanny? you have no influence or control? fire the nanny. is auntie in quotes because this not a family member? get rid of the auntie, too. if nanny and auntie can't get that you are the parent and they need to care for your child as you wish, serious change is in order. even if they are in-laws.

I guess we were fortunate. the only thing my in-laws gave our daughter that we disapproved of was cabbage patch dolls. Grandma made clothes and bedding; Grandpa made bunk beds, chairs, even a potty chair.... unbelieveable. each doll, and I think there were about 6 of them, had their own 'go-to-grandma's' suitcase.... pretty benign, I guess, but the hype around those dolls was pretty ridiculous.

Please don't spout your ignorance on this type of subject. Mothers often only know what is learned from their own mothers, so it's quite subjective. Many learn from their peers who learned from their mothers. And often, what they've "learned" is crap - pure and simple. And it's damaging to their babies.

Studies are important and many show that obesity begins very young, cereal in bottles for infants can lead to juvenile diabetes, and corn syrup is quite the evil chemical concoction.

I'm glad you have such faith in humanity and are so distrustful of the educated. And I agree that global warming is a crock. But most of these studies aren't done with tax dollars - they're done by the medical fields and universities (some with grants, true). If you don't want your tax $$ going to medical grants, be careful how you vote in each election and watch the bill riders your elected officials sneak through.

Again - you are not speaking logically and your comments aren't appreciated. I am not necessarily a fan of the 1st Lady, but I can tell you that I have seen obese babies - and it's sad and sickening. And it often begins that way. Your brother is likely the exception or your perception of him at 9 months is skewed. Obese infants exist and it is not their fault.

And I am GLAD the 1st Lady made them take candy and sodas out of the schools - but they just moved them outside, not off campus.

Well said.

Not true. The study mentions USA, but it doesn't mention that the problem is exclusive of it. We have the same problem in Mexico.

You are ignorant because you believe that there is "NO WAY" to tell if a baby will grow up to be obese. You are very wrong, and therefore ignorant.

I have done my research and I have examined the research of others whom I respect/trust. I choose to believe that there are things that babies should not be fed- and I've seen the results firsthand.

I am not selfrighteous. I am, however, educated on this subject and selfconfident in what I have learned. And in many ways, even I shouldn't be alive with some of the crap I've consumed - that's the miracle of life, buddy.

This study doesn't say anything about infant obesity leading to death. Nor did I. This study says that there are some children who are obese at infancy - potentially because of the crap their mothers/family feed them. And there are studies which show that obesity can lead to premature mortality risk. Is that your tenuous link?

Natural is best. If you can't do natural, you get as close to it as you can. And you limit sweets, processed, chemically enhanced and produced products. Ask any nutritionist, heart surgeon, or your favorite GP and they'll all tell you the same. Oh, wait. Maybe they're being selfrighteous, too.

Agreed, healthy breast-fed babies are supposed to be chubby at 9 mos. My son was a CHUNK at 9 mos. He would get very chunky, then grow taller and leaner, then get chunky again, then grow taller and leaner. Now he's a lean 5 year-old.

I think the cause of chubbiness should be examined in conjunction with the weight percentile. Some chubbiness is natural, some may be induced by the artificial food you mention.

might want to include veggies on the 'ok' list. carrots, snow peas, celery (for younger children, pull the strings out), anything green. also hard-cooked egg.

i make a mean kale chip! google 'kale chip recipe' and have fun.

Yep, we do veggies, too. My kids LOVE broccoli and cauliflower - weird, huh? I can't get them to like brussel sprouts, though, so maybe they're not too weird. :)