Infants don't eat as well with babysitters

URBANA, Ill., July 12 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said infants who are fed by caregivers other than their parents are more likely to be exposed to unfavorable feeding practices.

Juhee Kim, a professor of community health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said childcare factors and feeding practice may play a role in overweight infants and toddlers.

Kim and co-author Karen Peterson of Harvard University's School of Public Health analyzed data from 8,150 9-month-old infants enrolled in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.

"Weight gain and the prevalence of overweight were lowest among infants who received care by parents," the researchers said in the article, published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

"Parents may want to have enough communication with childcare providers about when, what and how to feed their babies during their stay in day care, which is important to avoid potential risk of overfeeding or underfeeding at home," Kim said. "Childcare providers also need to participate in nutrition-education/training programs to understand the importance of starting solid foods, transition from breast milk or formula to foods, and how to implement recommended practices to ensure a healthy eating environment."