Children born to overweight mothers ‘more likely to be fat’… but breastfeeding can offset the effect

Smoking during pregnancy also increases chances of child being obese.  Being heavy at birth and rapid weight gain are factors, say researchers.  A third of ten and 11-year-olds in the UK are overweight

Children born to overweight mothers face a higher risk of being fat themselves – but breastfeeding can help offset the effect, a study has shown.

Being overweight and smoking during pregnancy both increase the chances of a child being obese, along with being heavy at birth and rapid weight gain as a baby. But breastfeeding and the late introduction of solid foods can reduce a baby’s risk of becoming overweight by about 15 per cent, claim the researchers.

Big inheritance: Children born to overweight mothers face a higher risk of being fat themselves, according to a study which could help parents make healthier choices for their babies They say it should help new mothers make healthier choices for their babies. Stephen Weng, who undertook the study, led by Dr Sarah  Redsell, of Nottingham University’s School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, said complex influences affected child development, ranging from genetics  to parents’ lifestyle.

He added: ‘We can speculate about how breastfeeding  mitigates the risk of obesity in childhood – it could be mixed feeding, reduced calories from breastmilk, parental attitudes, or a combination of things. ‘The research shows that breastfeeding your baby compared with never breastfeeding does have a modest benefit.’ Link: Six out of seven studies looking at infant birth weight showed a correlation between babies who were heavy at birth and obesity in later childhood In the UK a quarter of children aged four to five and a third of ten and 11-year-olds are overweight. Evidence suggests that children who are overweight by five are more likely to become obese – so overweight it threatens their health – in adulthood. The findings come from a systematic review and analysis of data from 30 previous studies involving 200,000 people. The studies investigated factors affecting babies during their first 12 months and their potential link with childhood obesity.

The study, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, discovered that children who were breastfed and introduced to solid food later  had a slightly reduced chance of becoming overweight.

Children whose mothers were overweight before pregnancy were 1.37  times more likely to be overweight at the age of three; 4.25 times more likely to be overweight at seven; and 2.36 times more likely to be overweight between nine and 14 years.

Six out of seven studies looking at infant birth weight showed a significant link between babies who were heavy at birth and obesity in later childhood. Similarly, rapid weight gain in a baby’s first year often led to obesity, with one study showing those who gained the most weight were almost four times more likely to be overweight at four. Children who were breastfed – however briefly – were 15 per cent less likely to become overweight.

Statistics: In the UK a quarter of children aged four to five and a third of ten and 11-year-olds are overweight Giving solid foods early may be linked to later obesity, with one study showing formula-fed babies given solids before four months were six times more likely to be overweight aged three than those getting them for the first time between four and five months. Smoking during pregnancy alone increased the risk of children being overweight by 47.5 per cent. However, this may be because smoking is a good indicator of other social and lifestyle characteristics, said Dr Weng. He said the findings could be used to compile a ‘checklist’ for GPs and health visitors to help them spot infants most at risk of becoming obese later in life. Healthier? Breastfeeding and the late introduction of solid foods can reduce a baby’s risk of becoming overweight by about 15 per cent, researchers claim