Table 1.

Anticipatory guidance and specific interventions by age and developmental stage

	Nutrition	Physical Activity/Other	Specific Interventions
Prenatal Period	- Avoid over- and under-nutrition during pregnancy	- Avoid tobacco	- Weight gain per IOM guidelines: Underweight: 28-40lbs Normal-weight: 25-35lbs Overweight: 15-25lbs Obese: 11-20lbs
	- Avoid caffeine
Newborn-6 months	- Exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months	- Tummy time	- Avoid broad-spectrum antibiotics if possible
	- Only breastmilk or formula, no sugar sweetened beverages (SSB)	- No screen time or television
	- Be mindful of child's feeding cues
	- Allow child to feed at their own pace
	- Stop feeding when child is done
	- Don't put to sleep while feeding
	- No television, especially while feeding
6–12 months	- Continued breastfeeding until 12 months and beyond	- No screen time or television	- Avoid broad-spectrum antibiotics if possible
	- Introduce solids when developmentally ready (sit, open mouth on cue, close mouth around spoon)
	- Encourage fruits and vegetables
	- Finger foods with soft table foods
	- Wide variety of textures and flavors
	- Continue to offer foods that a child has previously not liked
	- Structured meal and snack times
12–24 months	- Limited sugar-sweetened beverages	- <1 hour of screen time per day	- Consider early bottle weaning
	- Eat together as a family at structured meal and snack times		- Avoid broad-spectrum antibiotics if possible
	- Sit at table for all snacks, drinks, and meals
	- Prepare foods in a variety of ways
	- Limit eating at restaurants, especially fast food		- Avoid restrictive or emotional feeding
	- Let child choose how much of offered food to eat
	- Encourage positive parent modeling		habits
	- Provide perspective on portion size
24–48 months	- Realistic expectations for table manners	- <2 hours of screen time per day	- Avoid restrictive or emotional feeding habits
	- 3 meals a day at set times
	- No grazing between meals except for scheduled snacks
4–12 years	- Set some basic rules, then allow child to choose after-school snack	- At least 60 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily	- Consider technological interventions
13–18 years	- Allow child to take responsibility for choosing and eating meals away from home	- 60 min physical activity daily	- Consider technological interventions
	- Expect child to be hungry at dinner
	- Teach how to plan and prepare meals and snacks		- Involve peer groups in interventions