Wrong Weight Charts Used

[Judy1234]

I thought the UK had moved to the new WHO breastfed weight charts ages ago but we still haven't. They still assess UK babies based on over fed babies fed on cow's milk. Breast fed babies weigh less (and are less obese in adulthood etc).

The Times article today is headed "Mothers who switched from breast to bottle were mislead"

The charts show breastfeed babies have a growth spurt in the early weeks and then put on weight more slowly and at 52 weeks are more than a pound lighter than the bottlefed charts now used show. The proper charts will shift a quarter of the abies from below the average weight at one yar to above the average weight.

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article1857052.ece

[Anna8888]

You can download the WHO weight charts for breastfed babies on their website and use them to keep your own electronic record of your baby/child's growth.

[akaJamiesMum]

Apparently the UK is expected to join forces with this soon. Not before time.

[tortoiseSHELL]

[waiting for tiktok to come along and point out the current charts are NOT based on formula fed babies but on a cross section of ALL babies, b/fed and f/fed!]

[ib]

Actually the WHO charts are quite unrepresentative because they exclude babies which received formula top-ups (which are usually the smaller/slower growing babies). I heard a rumour that 90% of the original sample was excluded from the final analysis.

[terramum]

ib - Surely excl bf babies should be the benchmark for all babies' growth though as they will then reflect what "normal" growth should be.

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

tbh I think all charts are unrepresentative as babies weight gain and pattern of growth is also based on genes, ability to absorb and process their feeds... based on who charts my exclusively breastfed baby girl is even more 'off the charts' and abnormally heavy. There is no optimum chart - but I do agree that bf should be the 'norm' whatever that is supposed to mean

[Judy1234]

Yes, because a lot of the bottle fed ones seem to be fat and get fat in later life so any charts which keep them at normal breastfed babies' weights are wise,