The NHS want my kid to be fat

[Zak33]

I'm starting to worry about what the loal authority and NHS want my kid to eat.

So far, since we started weening him at 6 months, we've tried damn hard. We cook him al his food. He has chicken and beef now, and cheese sauces, all organic vegetables, he gets fish 3 times per week, he has good quality yoghurts and frankly he eats like a king.

And so far, he's been growing according to the "line" that the heath visitor has in her book.
He's 6 months old, he weighs, x.
He's 7 months old, he weighs y.

etc

For his entire life he's been the "average baby" and bang on the middle line.

In my opinion he's fat. I know al kids look like they have elestic bands round their wrists, but he's a right porker. I wasn't like that at his age, I've seen photo's. Nor was Sair. OK...he's got my Dad's genes then....gonna be a biggun,

And then, this week, he's weighed and he's just slipped under the line.

What does the health visitor suggest?
"Give him large puddings, steamed spnge with treacle and custard every day"

NO....you silly mo o...... that's loaded with sugar. He aint having bloody custard by the bucket. He'll just have to have what he's having now, and more of it.

Why would a professional health visitor suggest putting a kid on a sugary diet when he's 2 oz's under her "perfect" line?

I swear, kids today are fat BECAUSE it's in the bloody book!

[StevenF]

Serious subject, but nicely written!

That does sound a bit crazy what she suggested.

[IBM]

Don't listen to the crazy bint. Seriously, the number of power mad freaks working in the NHS, in particular in the pediatrics area, is insane. Do what you think is right, and tell her you think she's nuts. In fact, report her, or sell your story to the Sun.

[Lucio]

If he's on the 50th centile line then it's fine! Let's not forget that children *look* very out of proportion to adults anyway. Until they start to crawl, it's the progress that's being tracked not their actual weight per se.

Once he's a crawler, they'll use a more accurate tool that takes into account their height.

so sayeth the paediatric nurse that is my other half

[SiM]

Give him some whey protein

[[GSV]Trig]

Muscle weighs more that fat, get him sorting out his own washing, by the next weigh in he'll be fine

[Guy]

So he's slightly under there 'normal' chart big deal its not life threating is it?
Do what you feel is best for him

[Zak33]

it just winds me up.

Why feed a perfectly healthy, happy kid sugar by the bowl full?
Mad? yup....I am

[menthel]

Madwives and health visitors are all well and good when the kid actually needs monitoring but otherwise really should just be to to jog on.

Small fact about madwives for you. Back when I was a student and doing my obs and gynae attachment there was a toaster in the madwives rest room that only they used. It had a sign on it. One that felt us with horror and mirth equally.

"Please do not put bread into the toaster that already has butter and jam on."

That is all you need to know.

[Koolpc]

The charts are about 'Average' kids. Not every kid is the same. They are a guidline, nothing more.

[MadduckUK]

Small fact about madwives for you. Back when I was a student and doing my obs and gynae attachment there was a toaster in the madwives rest room that only they used. It had a sign on it. One that felt us with horror and mirth equally.

"Please do not put bread into the toaster that already has butter and jam on."

i presume marmite would have been perfectly fine then

[iranu]

You have NOTHING to worry about and I think you know that anyway, but I don't blame you for venting your frustrations. As IBM says"don't listen to the crazy bint". Now I'm sure that the health visitor/nurse is doing her job but I've seen this type of statement before with regards to my brother's wife and her baby.

My niece has been a bit below the 50th percentile curve (read average) since she was born and only now at 7 1/2 months is she at that band. A single health worker (not all of them that she has seen) even suggested to my brothers wife that she needed to eat more in order to provide milk for the little one a few months ago. This was crazy bearing in mind the bairn was putting on weight consistently (and that's the important bit) and not malnourished in any way and mum didn't need to eat more too. So what if she was below the norm? Any 14 year old will be able to tell you about statistics and what the norm is.

What compounded the annoyance for my sister-in-law was the fact that she has worked all her life in child care and got numerous qualifications including child development etc. It really irked her that someone could base their conclusions purely on a chart rather than look at the broader picture and it put that bit of doubt in her mind. Although this was quickly dispelled by everyone and sundry saying "look, you know your baby and what's good for her and what's more you have plenty of people that would mention it otherwise" but it still pissed her off massively.

The fact that my niece is a very happy, contented, well co-ordinated, crawling very fast, very strong, able to pull herself up and stand (and walk using a stroller), loves my newspaper, shoves everything in her mouth, plays with her toys contently, bashes a PC keyboard enthusiastically, is smiley and now makes the dadadada noise aswell as trying to clap and wave goodbye (but doesn't manage it) along with being a total monkey is testament to how well she is looked after.

The other thing ofcourse is that babies once they become active, especially once they start to totter are going to use more calories and therefore burn their podge (I love that word) so come to weigh a bit less.

It's the same old crappy socialist principle of everyone must be "equal" being dictated down and applied for everything measurable.

[Blackmage]

Zak your son does get some sugar intake... don't be too strict. I think your doing good though

[Sinizter]

This probably explains why I see some kids with awful teeth.

[Zak33]

Zak your son does get some sugar intake... don't be too strict. I think your doing good though

he does...but it's all natural fruit sugar, and from vegetables. He doesn't eat anything processed, everything he eats,I make from fruit and vegetable.

But I agree....he does intake sugar. Everyone who eats vegetable and fruit does.

[jimborae]

he does...but it's all natural fruit sugar, and from vegetables. He doesn't eat anything processed, everything he eats,I make from fruit and vegetable.

But I agree....he does intake sugar. Everyone who eats vegetable and fruit does.

Exactly right, feed people refined sugars and food and they get refined problems.