Will bottle-feeding my baby make them fat?

A recent study by researchers at the UCL Institute of Child Health, worried mothers that bottle-feeding their babies formula left their children more likely to be fat at the age of 5 – 8 years of age.

Published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the research led by Professor Atul Singhal, at The MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre says that over-nutrition in infancy can lead to overweight children and also being overweight in later life.

Professor Singhal said “This study robustly demonstrates a link between early nutrition and having more fat in later life in humans – a finding suggested by previous studies and confirmed in many other animals.  Our findings are strong, consistent, show a dose-response effect, and are biologically plausible.”

“Immediately, it raises the issue about the best way to feed those children small for gestational age, which should now be evaluated in the light of all current evidence.  In public health terms, it supports the case in the general population for breastfeeding – since it is harder to overfeed a breastfed baby.   And it will undoubtedly be of interest to formula milk companies wishing to improve their products.”

But Doctor Lin Day, founder of Baby Sensory, believes the relationship between overfeeding and obesity is a ‘complex one’, with some holes in the research. Whilst the study looked at formula-fed children’s fat mass at age five to eight years it did not take into consideration their Body Mass Index (BMI) generally considered to be a more accurate measure of body fatness.

It also failed to follow up the children during adolescence and adulthood, leading to an incorrect conclusion that overfeeding in early infancy will lead children to life long obesity.

Lin says: The relationship between over-feeding and obesity is a complex one. Predisposing factors to obesity also include genetics, lack of stimulation in the home, low socioeconomic status, maternal obesity and an inactive lifestyle. These factors should be addressed in any study that predicts the development of obesity.

Changing patterns of physical activity during the last two decades have played a potential part in the epidemic of obesity. Babies spend more time in containers such as car seats, carriers, bouncers, swings, walkers and strap-in chairs than is good for their development. Sedentary babies also run the risk of turning fat cells into fatty tissue, which can be hard to control in later life. Children are less active than they have ever been. Too much time spent watching television or playing video and computer games can prime them for a life of inactivity and poor eating habits. Having a television in the bedroom has been reported to be a strong predictor of overweight in preschool-aged children. The best health conditions are provided through active play, exploration, movement activities and good nutrition.

Although the study supports the case for breastfeeding, the psychological stress of social stigmatization imposed on parents who over-feed their babies may be damaging to the parent-baby relationship. Furthermore, high protein intake or overfeeding has not consistently revealed effects on childhood obesity. Thus, health professionals are strongly encouraged to incorporate guidance about bottle-feeding in a non-judgmental, blame-free manner.

Maintaining a healthy weight involves balancing the number of calories consumed with the number of calories the body burns during physical activity. Thus the optimal approach to prevention needs to combine dietary and physical activity interventions.

Dr Lin Day is a child psychologist and founder of Baby Sensory, provider of baby development classes running in over 200 locations in the UK. www.babysensory.com