New Research: Daycare Babies Gain More Weight
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After researching 8,150 infants at 9 months old, half were primarily cared for by someone other than the parents, the highlights of the study are as follows:
- 40% of infants who had been in daycare since 3 months of age were less likely to have been breastfed and were eating solids earlier than those cared for by parents.
- Babies in part-time care had gained 175 grams or 0.4 pounds more weight at 9 months than those who were cared for by their parents.
- Babies under other relatives’ care gained 162 grams or 0.35 pounds more weight, and also began eating solid foods earlier.
Why worry about the weight gain in babies? There have been enough studies consistent in their findings that early childhood weight gain can be a a precursor to being overweight as adults. These infants were also less likely to be breastfed understandably due to lack of time (daycare is more often a necessity because both parents are working). Breastfeeding has been linked by some studies, as offering some sort of protection against weight problems later in life.
Parents of children in daycare, what can you do? First, see if you can rearrange finances and schedule so one of you can stay at home full time, part time, or work from home. If that is not possible, be very clear in instructions with daycare staff as to what and when and how much they should be fed. Third, practice a healthy lifestyle of balanced diet and exercise for your babies to grow up emulating. You as parents, aren’t helpless against conclusions from research. And your child is not destined to become overweight just because they are in daycare.
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