Preventing Childhood Obesity | Perinatal Factors

Course overview

This learning activity provides healthcare providers with an overview of childhood obesity in the United States and the critical role of perinatal factors in its prevention. The module covers current prevalence statistics, health risks, and explores how factors during pregnancy and early infancy - including maternal weight, breastfeeding practices, smoking, gestational diabetes, and infant weight gain patterns - influence a child's risk of developing obesity. The activity emphasizes evidence-based prevention strategies that healthcare providers can implement when working with pregnant women and new families, including appropriate prenatal weight management, gestational diabetes screening, breastfeeding support, and smoking cessation counseling. The goal is to equip healthcare professionals with knowledge to intervene early in the developmental process to reduce childhood obesity rates and promote long-term health outcomes.