Baby aged just eight months is seen by NHS obesity clinic – but expert says ‘it’s not unheard of’

An eight-month-old baby has been seen by a new service for severely obese children.

The NHS service in Somerset, called Splash, is one of the few in the country offering children under four and their families access to dietary and psychological support.

Dr. Chris Knight, clinical director of paediatrics, said: ‘Eight months is unusual, but at that age we can make real progress in the way they feed these children at such an early stage.

‘There are really good opportunities here to turn things around.

‘The majority of our cases are between two and four years old, but approximately 15% are under two years of age.’

Peter Fleming, professor of child health and developmental physiology at the University of Bristol (pictured), said: ‘It is not unheard of for babies as young as six months to be severely obese because their parents often start feeding them solids too early.’

He added: ‘At the very young age of eight months this often involves problems with young babies taking in very large amounts of milk.

‘That can be a difficult cycle to break. They rely on milk for comfort, but a very high intake means they gain a lot of weight.’

Peter Fleming, professor of child health and developmental physiology at the University of Bristol, said: ‘It is not unheard of for babies as young as six months to be severely obese because their parents often start feeding them solids too early.’

The Somerset Pre-school Lifestyle Activity Skills for Self-Help (SPLASH) is a weight management service where doctors, dietitians and psychologists monitor dietary behavior and try to build parental confidence.

It started as a trial in April 2022 but has proven so successful that it is now receiving permanent funding.

More than 50 families have been working with the service since it started and two in five of these have also had the support of a psychologist.