News

IOM Report Emphasizes the Role of Sleep in Preventing Early Childhood Obesity

Added: 4 July 2011

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM) has released a new consensus report, “Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies.” this report related to factors associated with obesity and weight problems in children aged from from birth to five years and consisted of multiple recommendation to parents and health professions, including two specific recommendations related to sleep: 

“Child care regulatory agencies should require child care providers to adopt practices that promote age-appropriate sleep durations.”

“Health and education professionals should be trained in how to counsel parents about their children’s age-appropriate sleep durations.” 

This report also included four sleep-related recommendation including “seeking consultation yearly from an expert on healthy sleep durations and practices.”