Tougher baby food regulations needed to prevent obesity, say RCPCH

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has called on the Government to reduce the amount of free sugar in baby food as it risks babies developing a sweet tooth early on which can lead to tooth decay, poor diet and obesity.

The College has published a range of recommendations as part of its Prevention Vision for Child Health that set out clear proposals for how to transform the health and wellbeing of children and young people in the UK. Ahead of the Government’s Prevention green paper, it has also said that Government should place a €œmoratorium€ on public health funding cuts.

Professor Mary Fewtrell, Assistant Officer for Health Improvement and Nutrition Lead for RCPCH, said: “Part of the problem is that baby weaning products often contain a high proportion of fruit or sweeter tasting vegetables €“ and parents also often use fruit or sweet tasting vegetables as first foods at home. Pureed or liquid baby foods packaged in pouches also often have a high energy density and a high proportion of sugar.

“If sucked from the pouch, the baby also misses out on the opportunity to learn about eating from a spoon or feeding themselves.  Baby foods can be labelled €˜no added sugar’ if the sugar comes from fruit €“ but all sugars have the same effects on the teeth and on metabolism.”

Sugar intake also contributes to overweight and obesity

Excess sugar is one of the leading causes of tooth decay, which is the most common oral disease in children, affecting nearly a quarter (23%) of five-year-olds. It is the most common reason for hospital admission for 5-9-year-olds, and the sixth most common procedure in hospital for children aged 4 years and under. Sugar intake also contributes to overweight and obesity.

Professor Fewtrell added: “Family life is busier now than ever before, so jars and pouches prove popular with parents because they are so convenient. We, therefore, want to see the Government introduce mandatory guidelines on how much free sugar they can contain. We also think there should be more investment in public health education to advise parents on the impact of free sugars. For parents making their own baby food, we’d encourage them to balance the sweeter tastes with more bitter ones.”

Other key recommendations from the RCPCH include:

• Government to introduce mandatory guidelines on the free sugar content of baby food
• Government to place a €œmoratorium€ on public health funding cuts
• Smoking to be prohibited in playgrounds, sports fields, and on NHS premises
• Graduated driving licences to be introduced for all new drivers
• Advertising to be banned for all formula milks for babies under 1 year
• Bespoke child health workforce strategy to be developed across the UK to address worrying staff shortages
• National mental health survey to be carried out every three years to identify the prevalence of mental health problems in young people
• All forms of marketing of e-cigarettes for non-medicinal use to be prohibited

Professor Russell Viner, RCPCH President, said: “We have a real opportunity to transform the future of child health in the UK, and I think politicians are beginning to realise that investing in children reaps real benefits for the wider population.

“Our recommendations are backed by evidence and are practical. They will make a huge difference to child health and we urge the Government to consider them as a matter of urgency. If we don’t get it right for children, then the health of the whole nation is put in jeopardy.”

The RCPCH published its recommendations as a formal response to the Prevention Vision published by the Department of Health and Social Care in November 2018.