Whilst, recent research questions the use of multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy, the Infant & Toddler Forum maintain that the most important advice to give mothers-to-be is to take a daily supplement of 10µg vitamin D throughout pregnancy and 400µg folic acid up until at least the 12th week of pregnancy. Continue reading
Category: Articles
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The supersized issue: Why UK parents are overfeeding
- One in ten parents regularly give pre-school children meals close to the size of adult portions*
- Parents are unaware of the health consequences of feeding too much too often
- #rethinktoddlerportionsizes new campaign sheds light on how much is too much. It’s time to rethink our notion of how much food toddlers need
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A Healthy Pregnancy in Ten Steps
As evidence builds on the risk for babies of overweight mothers, a new simple guide sheds light on the right advice to follow
A new online resource, Ten Steps for a Healthy Pregnancy, aims to help mums-to-be to use pregnancy as a window of opportunity to build good habits for health, growth and development for both mum and baby. The resource by the Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF) Continue reading
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Infant & Toddler Forum calls for policy makers to concentrate on preventative measures to curb obesity
The latest statistics from the National Child Measurement Programme, show that over a fifth of pre-school children were still found to be overweight or obese. And by the time they reach 11 years old this figure is over 33%. Despite the slight decrease year on year, it’s still a concern that children are becoming overweight at such a young age. Continue reading
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Knowing the right portion size for your toddler just got easier!
Evidence-based Portion Sizes for children aged 1-4 years available to support healthy growth and development
With growing evidence of the impact of increasing portion sizes on the amounts of food that adults and children consume(1), simple and practical advice Continue reading -
Relationship between feeding and development of infants set out for parents for the first time
New guidance helps parents to see the connection between developmental stages and feeding infants and young children
A brand new resource for parents combines the developmental stages of infants and young children and their relationship with food and feeding. This influence starts as early as in the womb. Continue reading
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Our new members join forces to ActEarlier4Health
It’s now well accepted that what happens during the very early years of life has a lifelong effect on certain aspects of health and well-being. It is clear that we do need to act earlier to ensure every child gets the best start in life. Meet our three new members who bring valuable insights and support to our extended focus into preconception and pregnancy
Dr Rosan Mayer, Honorary Senior Lecturer, Imperial College, Principal Paediatric Principal Research Dietitian, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (read her biography here),
Rosan said: “I am delighted to be a part of the ITF and look forward to contributing my expertise in paediatric nutrition, weaning and feeding of young children. I am particularly supportive of the ITF’s focus on early life nutrition and starting earlier in the life-course to improve the later life of the child, and wholeheartedly support the need to act earlier for later health.”
Gill Perks Lead Midwife at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (read Gill’s biography here)
Gill said: “As a practising midwife I am delighted to be part of the ITF as it broadens its educational programme in to the area of pregnancy nutrition and advice. The importance of good and timely advice on weight, nutrition and guidance for women and families on how to have a healthy pregnancy and birth cannot be underestimated. Getting it right from the start is the key to starting families off to better future health.”
Sukrutha Verareddy MRCOG, PhD
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Labour Ward Lead, Queen Elizabeth hospital, Woolwich Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (read Sukrutha’s biography here)Sukrutha said: “Since joining the ITF I have been keen to help contribute to the campaign to act earlier for later health. The trajectory for obesity is on the rise and I see many pregnant women who enter pregnancy with raised body mass Index that increases maternal and fetal risks. The ITF is committed to supporting families at the very start of life . Good advice on weight management, lifestyle and nutrition at pre-conception, during pregnancy and in-between pregnancies can really make a difference to future generations.”
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The ITF supports call for action for parent interventions to help combat child obesity
The Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF) supports the advice of Professor John Ashton, the president of the UK Faculty of Public Health that all parents should be offered state-funded classes on how to bring up their children in an attempt to tackle rising levels of child obesity, mental distress and underachievement. He called for more parenting programmes and telephone helplines and said schools should introduce daily meditation sessions.
Judy More, paediatric dietitian and ITF member, said: “It’s now well accepted that what happens during the very early years of life (starting in the womb) has lifelong effects on certain aspects of health and well-being. It is clear that we do need to act earlier to ensure every child gets the best start in life. Education is paramount to achieving this. Our latest report Early Nutrition for Later Health: Time to Act Earlier, not only echoes this call for education but highlights the need to take a life course approach to health and wellbeing starting before pregnancy – at preconception and continuing throughout the very early years to encourage healthy family lifestyles. Families need consistent, simple, advice to get back on the right track if we are going to halt the obesity epidemic.”
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Pregnancy, a missed opportunity to influence later health?
Report by the Infant & Toddler Forum calls for nutrition guidance in pre-conception and pregnancy to be a public health priority
A report released today by the Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF) highlights the need for pre-conception and pregnancy to be seen as a critical ‘window of opportunity’ to improve the health of the next generation.
Backed by stakeholders in early life nutrition, including baby charity Tommy’s, Borne and the Pre-school Learning Alliance, the report, ‘Early Nutrition for Later Health: Time to Act Earlier’, acknowledges the emerging evidence that a mother’s weight and nutritional status before, during and between pregnancies can have a long lasting effect on the baby’s health and the risk of disease later in life. In fact how and what mothers eat could potentially affect the health of future generations.
The reality, however, is that we are not doing enough to take advantage of this opportunity. The report paints a picture of confusion and lack of advice for mums on nutrition and healthy lifestyles in pregnancy informed by a survey of 1,000 mothers and over 150 healthcare professionals:
- Just under half (46%) of mums said they made no changes to their diet after finding out they were pregnant
- 64 per cent of mums would welcome more advice or support relating to their pregnancy, with another one in two confused about the correct diet or supplementation for breastfeeding
- One in three healthcare professionals have had no training in nutrition in pregnancy or infant breast feeding and 43% had no training in obesity in pregnancy
“Pregnancy and pre-conception need to be our new focus.” says Dr Atul Singhal, Professor of Paediatric Nutrition at the UCL Institute of Child Health, and Chair of the ITF. “Although, the early years are now well-established as critical to influencing health outcomes in later life, and whilst the past ten years have seen a growing commitment to early years intervention, obesity is still a major public health issue that continues to threaten the health of younger people. England is the ninth fattest nation in Europe, and one in four seven to 11-year-olds are overweight or obese[i]. That is why we need to focus earlier on in the life cycle, to influence nutrition and life choices from before conception through to preschool.
As we celebrate our 10th anniversary there has never been a more crucial time to seize this opportunity for pregnant mothers to enhance the health of their child and for our health system to support them.”
In response to the findings, the ITF is expanding its educational remit to take a life course approach to nutrition and health, from pregnancy and infancy through to toddlerhood. The ITF’s aim is to support and empower healthcare professionals to help families to make healthy lifestyle choices by delivering clear, practical advice on those critical early windows of opportunity to provide children with the best start in life.
Gill Perks, Midwifery Matron, Antenatal and Postnatal Services, NHS, said:
“This report supports the Department of Health’s mantra of ‘making every contact count’. In pre-conception and pregnancy we must not miss this opportunity to advise and influence a woman’s health, nutritional and dietary habits and midwives are in an ideal position to support women in this.
“The report supports greater emphasis within primary care of pre-conception clinics to guide all parents-to-be on nutrition and lifestyle. It also calls for action to increase the uptake of recommended vitamins and supplements during pre-conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding. It’s not just about giving information, we need to be able to support women to change behaviour by recognising what works for them and having the healthy conversation. A move I support.”
The first factsheet in the new pregnancy series, Healthy Eating in Pregnancy is available to download from the ITF website. To find out more information on health and development from pregnancy to preschool, visit the ITF website www.infantandtoddlerforum.org and sign up for monthly email bulletins with news and information about the Forum.
Notes to Editors
- The report was informed by an in-depth survey and input from healthcare professionals and experts in the area of pregnancy, obesity and nutrition. A survey of 1000 mums and 150 healthcare professionals was carried out by OnePoll in July 2014. Further results and executive summary are available from nhardman@saycomms.co.uk
- Childhood overweight and obesity remains at about 30% and this level shows no signs of declining[ii]
- The seeds of diabetes are sown very early in life – most excess weight before puberty is gained before five years of age[iii]
- Diet-related disease cost the NHS £5.8bn a year in 2006-7[iv]
- The life course approach suggests that some factors in the risk of adult chronic disease may begin in foetal life due to the lifestyle choices and the physical and social environment of the mother before and during pregnancy and her genetic inheritance influence the foetal environment.[v] There is increasing evidence that these risks begin in foetal life and continue into old age. Adult chronic disease, therefore, reflects cumulative differential lifetime exposures to damaging physical and social environments
- The Infant and Toddler Forum brings together an independent, multi-disciplinary team of experts and practitioners from paediatrics, neonatology, health visiting, dietetics, child psychology, midwifery and obstetrics to share new ideas and to debate the latest thinking in infant and toddler nutrition. Best practice guidance on food and feeding for all young families is paramount for children’s health and wellbeing now and in the future For ten years the Forum and its partners have strived to raise awareness and promote positive change in the field of toddler nutrition and feeding behaviour, with all guidance being in alignment with DH increased emphasis on early years intervention.
- The Infant and Toddler Forum is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition. The views and outputs of the group, however, remain independent of Danone Nutricia Early Life Nutrition and its commercial interest.
[i] European Association for the Study of Obesity. Facts and Statistics. 2013. Available at http://easo.org/task-forces/childhood-obesity-cotf/facts-statistics Last accessed 21.02.14
[ii] Health and Social Care Information Centre, Lifestyles Statistics. Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet: England, 2013, London. Available at http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB10364/obes-phys-acti-diet-eng-2013-rep.pdf Last accessed 21.02.14
[iii] Gardner DS, Hosking J et al. Contribution of early weight gain to childhood overweight and metabolic health: a longitudinal study (EarlyBird 36). Pediatrics, 123: e67-e73. 2009
[iv] Scarborough P, Bhatnager P et al. The economic burden of ill health due to diet, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol and obesity in the UK: an update to 2006 – 2007 NHS costs. Journal of Public Health, May 2011, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 527 – 535
[v] Darnton-Hill I, Nishida C et al. A life course approach to diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. 2004. Public Health Nutrition: 7(1A), 101–121 DOI: 10.1079/PHN2003584
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Infant and Toddler Forum supports call to action on childhood obesity
The Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF) welcomes the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) call for an action group to be set up to tackle childhood obesity in England.
The UK is facing a dietary crisis. Public Health England estimates that almost a third of 10-11 year olds and over a fifth of 4-5 year olds are overweight or obese.i Maternal obesity in the UK is risingii – around 16 per cent of women are obese at the start of their pregnancy.iii Diets today are too high in sugar and some are low in important micronutrients such as, iron, folate, iodine, calcium and potassium.
Judy More, paediatric dietitian and ITF member, said: “Children who become overweight are eating more than they need – either through excessively large portions of food or too many high energy snack foods and sweet drinks. The Infant and Toddler Forum have developed resources to give parents guidance on suitable portions sizes for toddlers as it is this age when obesity can develop. Dental decay is also seen in children who have an excess of sweet food and drinks, and iron deficiency anaemia in those that are offered a poor diet without enough iron rich foods. This call to action from the RCGP is an important reminder that we need to work together and act earlier to raise awareness of the impact poor nutrition has on a child’s health, now and in the future.
“Evidence is slowly building to reveal a connection between the health of the mother and later health of the child, suggesting that improving the nutrition and health of women before and during pregnancy may be the starting point if we are to improve the health of the next generation.”
For practical advice on instilling positive eating habits, see the ITF’s new food calculator app, Tot It Up. The app gives practical advice based on the ITF’s award winning Portion Size Recommendations for 1-4 year olds.
See also the ITF’s Understanding Food LabelsFactsheet for healthcare professionals and the Guidance and Tips for Parents.
i. Health and Social Care Information Centre National Child Measurement Programme – England, 2012-13 school year [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2014 Aug 5]. Available from: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/article/2021/Website-Search?productid=13778&q=national+child+measurement+programme&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1&area=both#top
ii. Public Health England. Prevalence of obesity in females aged 16-44 years during the period 1993-2010 [Internet]. 2014. Available from: http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/maternal_obesity/uk_trends
iii. NICE. Weight management before, during and after pregnancy [Internet]. NICE. [cited 2014 Jun 5]. Available from: http://www.nice.org.uk/
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Guidance on portion sizes to help achieve a healthier nation
The Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF) supports the recent advice from the Chief Executive of Public Health England, Duncan Selbie, who has said that parents should consider giving children smaller plates at meal times to reduce the amount of food they eat.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Selbie said that he wanted to help families make better choices with simple, practical steps such as exercising together or giving smaller plates to children.
Judy More, paediatric dietitian and member of the ITF, commented: “It is clear that families need more support to make better choices. For example, research carried out by the ITF, showed that 77 per cent of parents have never received clear advice about toddler portion sizesi and only 16 per cent of parents answered a question on toddler portion sizes correctly.ii
“The number of calories toddlers need varies depending on their size and how active they are. When parents have no clear, accessible guidance on what sized portion to offer their child they serve toddlers whatever food and portion sizes they consider suitable. Large portion sizes, particularly of energy-dense foods, are one of the key contributing factors to obesity in children. Parents/carers may also exacerbate the problem by insisting their toddlers eat more food when they have clearly indicated they have had enough.”
The ITF offers evidence-based resources and tools to support families such as the award-winning Portion Sizes for Children 1-4 Years Factsheet and the Tot It Up app.
The Factsheet is a practical, visual guide on how much food and drink to offer. It aims to reassure parents on recommended portion size ranges and allowing toddlers to eat to their appetite.
The Tot It Up app provides a personal analysis of a toddler’s daily – or more importantly, weekly – food intake compared against current recommendations. Parents and carers can input details of what meals, snacks and drinks a toddler has consumed, as well as the amount of physical activity he or she has done, to receive a personalised analysis with advice on improving diet and physical activity.
References
i. Who’s feeding your toddler?’ OnePoll on behalf of the Infant & Toddler Forum, 2010
ii. Online poll by the ITF in 2010 asked “How many table spoons of baked beans in tomato sauce is about the right amount to offer to a toddler?” Responses as of 12 October 2011. Out of 62 respondents, 10 gave the correct answer.