Should we cut back on the amount of formula we feed our hefty baby?

An infant can be off the top of the chart and be considered at risk for obesity, but I don't believe they can be considered obese before at least a year. Chubby babies are not abnormal or problematic. Breastfed babies in particular tend to get chunky by around 6 months, and then their weight gain slows drastically and they slim down while continuing to grow height and head circumference.

My baby weighed 4 pounds at birth (6 weeks premature), 18 pounds at 6 months, and is around 22 pounds at 15 months. She was exclusively breastfed until 8 months when solids were introduced, but didn't really eat much of them until around 13 months. She is meeting and exceeding expected milestones and is very healthy.

My son followed a similar growth curve, and at 5 years old is in the 25th percentile for height and weight. He eats like a horse and is very bright and active. I might be concerned with an 18-month old who is off the charts for weight, but in infancy, as long as the baby is eating to satiety and not being overfed (as can happen easily with a bottle), variation in size is completely normal.

I just found this article; it's very interesting regarding this subject: http://kellymom.com/momblog/2010/04/07/s...

I am probably the basher of larger babies that you are talking about. I am not bashing the babies but am definitely bashing the parents. Childhood obesity is one of the biggest problems in the United States and it is up to the parents to make sure that their child, no matter what their age, gets good nutrition, does not overeat, and when they are old enough to move around, crawl, and walk gets plenty of exercise.

I think the main problem with younger babies is that they do cry sometimes and a lot of parents just assume that because their baby is crying that means they are hungry so they feed them when in fact all the baby wanted was to be held, changed, cuddled, were too hot or cold, or simply just bored and wanted to be played with. Taller babies are naturally going to be heavier, but if a child is at the 20th percentile for height and 90th percentile for weight then yes the child is too heavy. On the other hand if the child is at the 90th percentile for height and weight both then it is fine.

It is up to us as parents to teach them and feed them only healthy foods, eat only when they are hungry, and to get lots of exercise. Food should never be used as a reward and a child should never be made to eat when not hungry or to clean their plate. Genetics can have a lot to do with how a child is built, but there is a big difference between a large boned solid child and a fat child.

Unless there is a medical issue there is absolutely no reason for a child or their parents or anyone for that matter to be fat.

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