Better screening to detect overweight with babies

Until now, data on weight and length were collected separately, but from now on, doctors will also have to look at the relation between the two. This should allow Kind en Gezin to warn parents if their child is in the danger zone.

In 1997, some 15 percent of the children was battling overweight. In 2008, this figure had climbed to 18 percent. That’s why Kind en Gezin also wants to monitor children at an earlier phase.

There are two main problems: a lack of movement and eating too much. Many parents are afraid that their baby is not eating enough, but in most cases it’s exactly the opposite: the baby is eating too much. They also have the habit of putting the infant in a chair or a seat, instead of letting it crawl.

If a baby is too fat, the solution is simple: less food, and more movement.

[Flandersnews.be / Expatica]