Babies lying on mom’s tummy can stave off obesity later
August 8th, 2011 - 4:46 pm ICT by IANSSydney, Aug 8 (IANS) Mothers who let babies lie on their tummies after breastfeeding can help prevent obesity among them in adult years.
This helps strengthen the baby’s neck and back muscle motor movement — vital for more complicated movements such as sitting, rolling over and crawling.
As part of the Healthy Beginnings Trial, 667 first-time mothers were visited by an early childhood health nurse at the antenatal period and then when the child was one, three, five, nine and 12 month-old.
Researchers from the University of Sydney and South Western Sydney Local Health Districts conducted this trial in 2007 to gather evidence of the effectiveness of early interventions on obesity in children, according to a Sydney statement.
“This is a very important finding considering 21 percent of boys and 18 percent of girls…aged two to three years are overweight or obese,” said University of Sydney’s Li Ming Wen, who led the study.
“It looks as though if we intervene early we can actually make a difference in the long-term,” Wen added.
Chris Rissel, also from the University of Sydney, said that mothers that received the home visits also increased the daily practice of tummy time from 76 percent to 83 percent and started tummy time with their infants much earlier.
The children in the Healthy Beginnings Trial will be followed up until the age of five.
- Shun junk food for improving kid's IQ - Aug 08, 2012
- Enriched formula milk could make your baby obese - Oct 03, 2010
- Babies born by caesarean more likely to be obese - May 24, 2012
- Older obese kids eat less than healthy peers - Sep 10, 2012
- Obesity begins in babies as young as 9 months old: Study - Jan 03, 2011
- What babies eat determines risk of obesity - Aug 31, 2012
- Slimming before pregnancy ensures healthier births - Apr 15, 2012
- Biscuit and ice cream diet fuelling obesity in babies as young as 4 weeks - Sep 08, 2010
- A quiet revolution saving rural children's lives (Aug 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week) - Jul 31, 2011
- Blame habits for childhood obesity, not heredity - Feb 01, 2011
- Babies insufficiently breastfed, finds study - May 02, 2011
- 6-month drug regimen 'reduces HIV risk for breastfeeding infants' - Mar 03, 2011
- Infants of obese mothers slow developers - Aug 07, 2012
- Sarah Palin once promoted breastfeeding like Michelle Obama - Feb 19, 2011
- New link shows mother's pregnancy diet influences child's chances of obesity - Apr 19, 2011
Tags: adult, babies, childhood health, early childhood, girls, health districts, health nurse, healthy beginnings, interventions, li ming, local health, mom, obesity in children, south western sydney, time mothers, tummies, university of sydney