Reception age - National Measurement Programme

[bobgoblin23]

My DS is in Reception and I consented to him being included within this programme. No, I'm not about to complain I didn't know my child is fat!

I can see other threads where parents are getting letters. Does everyone get one with the results? Or just if the child is considered overweight?

I don't think DS is overweight, but he hasn't see a HV or been weighed/measured since 12 months old when I went back to work. I used to take him to the weigh clinic as a baby, but that's it. I can understand how some can be 'shocked' if they reach this age with no intervention opportunity prior to it.

[fitzbilly]

I can't remember if everyone gets sent the results.

Can you see your child ribs clearly? If so they are not over weight.

[StealthPolarBear]

It varies. For ds we didn't get one but by the time dd was measured we got one to say she was within the normal range.
you could ask the school or your local authority public health team.

[SprogletsMum]

I got letters to say both of my dc were healthy weight so I assume everyone gets a letter.

[StealthPolarBear]

No different local areas do different things

[bobgoblin23]

DS always has a nice round belly, that gets bigger after tea. When he lies down, then I can see ribs and the bobbly bits on his spine are visible when he is stood up.

I've always had a weight problem and since DS born I have completely flipped things round food-wise for all of us. Friends would describe me as a little neurotic at first, counting the salt g each day when he first started eating solid food etc. I just want that reassurance i suppose, or to know where he sits on the BMI or centile range.

I don't talk about weight in front of him and have not tried to weigh him as I don't want him to think it's an issue. I'm also very deliberate about the words we use at home. I was gutted when he came home from school having learned the word FAT. I'm Just getting used to not being able to protect him from the world now he's at school.

[meditrina]

Practice was changed sometime in the Blair years.

All parents are now meant to get a letter. But different NHS regions will have different procedures and timings (and occasional errors which will mean no letter at all).

[StealthPolarBear]

It's only been running since 2006. And the nhs doesn't really have any involvement any more.

[meditrina]

It's been running since the 1940s!

It's one of the most valuable datasets going for public health planning because of that longevity.

It's run by Public a Health England (and counterparts) these days. So NHS until the reorganisation in 2012/13 when it moved directly under DoH.

It was only in the Blair year that parents started being informed of the measurements (so I suspect that's the 2006 change, as I can't remember the date off the top of my head). It wasn't the start of the programme, just a bit of re-branding/re-positioning.

[misson]

From memory we had to tick a box to receive the results (which haven't arrived ).

[StealthPolarBear]

Thanks National Child measurement programme in its current form has been running since 2006.

[StealthPolarBear]

Public Health England is an executive agency of dh. Public Health is no longer the nhs's responsibility either nationally or locally. The national programme is managed by phe and delivered locally by local authorities.

[StealthPolarBear]

Med you will not find any ncmp trends prior to 2006. No historic comparisons. There is no use made if any prior data.

[StealthPolarBear]

Prior to that data would come from something like health survey for England which works for National trends but nothing at local level.

[AmberEars]

OP, why don't you just weigh him and measure him yourself and put the results into an online BMI calculator? I do this with my DC approx twice a year just to keep an eye on things.

[Blueberry234]

I got a letter about 2-3 months after measurement

[Undersmile]

Does everyone do this?
We opted out. My youngest is very sensitive about personal issues, and very slight. I didn't want him to feel unusual. I know he's underweight, our HV knows, she's supportive of how we're feeding him, and knows he doesn't need it drawing to people's attention.

[AmberEars]

I feel strongly that everyone should participate in the programme. It's how we get the data on which public health decisions are made - it won't be accurate if lots of people opt out.

[StealthPolarBear]

It has very high participation only. Some independent schools take part but the results tend to only reflect state schools as there's no way of knowing what proporion of independent schools are in iyswim.

[StealthPolarBear]

Not sure what that 'only' mean!

[meditrina]

The change of name was part of the re-branding.

If you google for papers on specific issues - such as malnutrition in the post-war period and the introduction of free school milk, orange juice and cod liver oil, then you find the same data set in earlier form. Measurement in schools has bern running, unbroken, for decades.

(though it is of course true that in the new name, it only covers the period since that name was introduced)

There are also plenty of MNetters who remember being measured in schools in the 60s and 70s (threads passim, and I'm one of them)

[fakenamefornow]

I think I got letters about all three of mine, all normal weight, I think I had to tick a box requesting this.

It has very high participation

Just my own observations but the children I've seen opted out have all been (or rather looked) overweight, I think it must give an inaccurate picture because of this. As I said though, this is just my own observation.

[Undersmile]

He's in an independent school, his school do take part, but there was no hassle about us opting our children out.
I would have thought people would choose not to participate as it could encourage children to focus on their weight/size which I would consider unhealthy.

[paxillin]

Yes, everybody gets a letter, healthy weight or not.

[Ilovewillow]

We had a letter although to be fair that was three yes ago to inform us of the results even though there were no issues bar requiring a sight test! They only tested in the term before her 5th birthday though so could it be a different term and no test as yet?

[TheClacksAreDown]

We have just had a letter for DS. I did consider opting him out, not because he is overweight (I knew he wasn't from putting his data into online calculators anyway) but because on an individual level it feels intrusive and I can remember how badly it was handled when I was at secondary school although I can see the holistic benefits on the reception data

From dates it looks like there was a pretty small window between us getting the letter (which was very vague on when they would visit) and the actual visit.

Anyway DS didn't mentioned anything At the time so clearly he didn't view it as a particularly big thing.