Many Moms Making This Mistake Increase Their Baby’s Risk of Becoming a Sumo Baby

Babies look so cute and endearing when they are all chubby, don’t they? You feel like pulling their cheeks and dressing them up in adorable baby wear as they trudge about with tiny baby steps. It is healthy for babies to gain weight early in life as it is a sign that the nutrition is reaching them. They also need weight gain to help them reach developmental milestones on time. However, as per recent health reports worldwide, more and more babies are developing a health risk linked to their weight. They are becoming what is known as a “Sumo Baby” and this is more dangerous than you’d think! So what is it that’s propelling this condition? As it turns out, it is something that a MOM does that is contributing to this distressing reality!

The number of sumo babies has been rising around the world. Simply put, these babies are clinically obese and need medical care to handle their obesity. Their weight gain before even their first birthday is much more than is normal, and what’s worse, they could be tangled in a cycle of obesity that lasts throughout their life! Experts have been worried about this rising epidemic as isn’t it absolutely heart-breaking that a baby, who has no idea yet about health and weight, should be admitted to a hospital because of problems like these? After inspecting several such cases, health experts have come up with the cause. Sadly, the mistake is happening on the part of the parents.

The main reason behind this disturbing problem in babies is that moms today are weaning babies off breast too soon. This is contrary to medical advice that recommends babies should not be weaned off milk until they are six months old. Even if babies have been on and bottle milk or formula milk, many parents are switching too soon to pureed junk food.

Feeding solids to babies is more convenient especially for busy lifestyles and this means babies end up eating way too many solids before they are old enough to digest this properly. Ultimately, this is pushing babies into a permanent obesity cycle that they find very hard to break out of.

But This is Not The Only Risk Factor…

While early weaning and inordinate introduction to solid foods is the leading contributor to the sumo baby problem, there are a few other risk factors you need to be careful about. As a parent, it is important for you to be very careful of these potential dangers!

1. Being Overweight During Pregnancy

Did you gain too much weight during pregnancy? It has been seen that more and more overweight mothers give birth to babies who have an obesity risk. This is because the foetus tend to receive more sugar through the placenta. If you are a mom to be, find out here the ideal weight you should gain when expecting and how you can make this possible.

2. Low Post-Delivery Care For Moms and Babies

Have you been taking your baby for a checkup regularly after delivery? Have you got yourself checked after birth? Post delivery care remains low in our country and even worldwide, with many parents either not understanding the significance of this, or failing to follow up. If you suspect your baby is not gaining enough weight, or gaining too much, for that matter, this is something you need to discuss with the paediatrician on priority.

3. Poor Mental Health

Do you suffer from postpartum depression, body image issues or any other problems linked to mental health? Mothers who undergo such conditions are likelier to give birth to/trigger obesity in their babies. This is simply because most of us shy away from getting help with mental health problems mainly because of societal trauma. When we are worried or overly anxious about something, it becomes difficult to follow a healthy diet or ensure that our baby’s eating habits are in order.

Sumo babies is a dangerous situation. Babies who are obese have increased risk of diabetes, heart problems and blood pressure problems, not to forget issues with body image and self-confidence. Preventing this situation from occurring is something you can do in your baby’s early years. Steer clear of these risk factors and make sure your baby grows up healthy, not overweight.