Why does a newborn overfeed? Many parents mistake it for colic, reflux, allergies, or lactose and milk protein intolerances. While it can be a symptom of any of these conditions, it is separate from a newborn’s untreated gastrointestinal tract infection. This behavior can also be caused by sleep deprivation, which upsets a child’s hormonal balance, leading to increased appetite. Infants are also at an important stage of oral development, so it is natural for them to suck when hungry, uncomfortable, or frustrated.
In rare cases, the overfeeding of a newborn can cause gastrointestinal distress. Some parents use antispasmodic medications, such as diphenhydramine, which has a mild sedative effect of alleviating the discomfort.
Read More: Is Your Newborn Always Hungry?
A newborn’s body adjusts to a set feeding schedule, so it’s important to respect this schedule and feed when the baby expresses hunger.
Breastfeeding aims to develop a healthy relationship with food and milk over the long term.
Feeding a newborn regularly helps the baby form a sleep association with food. If a baby relies on feeding for sleep, it will be very likely to feed again if the sleep is interrupted. This can lead to a difficult time telling if the baby is hungry or tired. Even though overfeeding can lead to significant body fat, the excess nutrients won’t increase a baby’s weight.
In addition to being associated with higher rates of obesity, newborn overfeeding is a major risk factor for childhood obesity. This study indicates that reinforcing newborn feeding guidelines could be a critical part of combating the epidemic of childhood obesity. This study is a retrospective chart review; therefore, written informed consent was not required. You can request a copy of the datasets used to analyze the data from the study from the corresponding author.
Consider a medical examination if you are concerned about your baby’s weight gain. While weight indicates overfeeding, this condition can also lead to digestive issues such as bloating and cramps. During this stage, your baby may also experience poor sleep cycles and self-esteem. Understanding what’s going on before your baby begins overfeeding is crucial. This is essential to prevent overfeeding, as it can lead to serious problems for your child.
The cause of newborn overfeeding is often overlooked. A common mistake is overestimating a baby’s milk requirement. This mistaken belief is that parents attempt to force a child to drink more than they need. The baby’s satiety cues can indicate when they are full and not hungry. Overfeeding can also occur if parents force their children to eat more than they need. As a result, the baby becomes overweight, and the excess milk is absorbed through the digestive system, resulting in a bloated baby.
Many new parents worry about overfeeding their babies. However, this is not a problem if your baby is breastfed. Besides, breast milk is digested easily, and the more breast milk a baby drinks, the more likely it is to be absorbed. As long as the feeding is timed, there is no need to worry about overfeeding your baby.
While breast milk is natural, it is not always enough to meet a newborn’s nutritional requirements. Breast milk contains probiotics and antibodies that are essential for good digestion. While formula can be supplemented with probiotics, it is unlikely to be as effective as breast milk. Also, bottle feeding has its disadvantages. Parents may try to coax a baby to finish the bottle or take more after they’ve stopped suckling.
Attempting to force-feed a newborn may result in overfeeding. Force-feeding is easy to implement when a baby’s sucking reflex is active – between birth and three to four months old – and can end up with a newborn taking more than they need. A caregiver may try to feed their baby even though they’ve reached satiety. Ultimately, this is not a good idea for you or your child.
