8. Summary

In summary, parents can be supported to reduce their infant's risk of becoming an overweight child. Research has shown that there are several ways that parents can adapt their feeding and activity routines.

These include the 'what' of feeding in terms of providing healthier foods, food variety and portion sizes and the 'how' of feeding in terms of learning how to responsively feed infants and young children.

In addition, small changes to infant physical activity opportunities, like free play on a mat or reducing the time spent in a car seat, can strengthen motor skills, and help energy balance.

Parenting programmes which aim to support good sleep, tummy time, healthy nutrition and responsive parenting are particularly helpful for those parents with infants at increased risk of becoming overweight children.