Baby Fat Can Lead to Developmental Delays

While most would agree that baby fat is often adorably sweet, research now reveals that overweight babies may be delayed when it comes to their development.  According to a recent study by nutritional epidemiologists at the University of North Carolina, being pudgy may delay a baby’s ability to develop and conquer important skills.

Skills that may be affected by a baby’s hefty weight include the ability to roll over, crawl or develop other important physical and motor skills.  Of the over one hundred and fifty infants studied who were overweight, about twenty percent had noticeable delays in development.

One such developmental skill that was observed involved the ability to sit steadily without tipping over for thirty seconds or more.  Infants who were over normal weight for their age were less likely to be able to conquer this feat. 

At three months, average infants should be able to balance their heads, roll over and sit with support.  By six months, sitting alone should be possible alongside the first signs of crawling.  Of those still overweight at six months, however, many were unable to sit by themselves and/or be able to roll over from their backs to fronts.

While many infants outgrow their baby fat as they get older, for those who remain overweight the delays may continue.  At eighteen months the overweight infants were unable to gain enough balance in order to walk sideways or backwards, or to stand on one foot for a second or two.  According to researchers, normally these skills should be developed between nine and twelve months and an 18 month old infant should be able to walk upstairs and backwards without too much trouble.

The extent to which these effects continue beyond 18 months remains to be studied.  At present though, this is just one more study warning parents of the dangers of allowing excessive weight gain to go unnoticed in children.  While baby fat may certainly be cute, it is important to speak with your health care provider if you think your child might be experiencing difficulties due to excessive weight. 

This important study is one of the first to link weight issues in infancy to delayed development.  And while there can of course be a wide range of normal weights for infants, it is important to consult with your physician should you suspect that your child’s weight might be causing him/her problems.  That lovely baby fat might in fact be keeping your child from developing the skills he or she needs to flourish.