Giving new mums advice on healthy eating and active play could reduce the chances that their children will become obese, new research suggests.
Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia looked at 667 first-time mothers and their babies.
Some of the mothers received eight home visits from nurses who taught them about healthy eating and exercise habits for children.
At two years of age, the researchers found that the average child in the intervention group had a body mass index (BMI) of 16.49, compared with 16.87 for those whose mothers were not given regular advice.
They also observed that 11.2 per cent of children in the intervention group were overweight or obese at two years, compared with 14.1 per cent of those in the control group.
Children whose mothers received dietary advice also tended to eat more fruit and vegetables, and were less likely to receive food as a reward.
Publishing their findings in the British Medical Journal, the study authors said that the results suggest health promotion programmes should start 'as early as possible' to prevent childhood obesity.
NHS figures suggest that around three in ten children, aged two to 15, were overweight or obese in 2010.