Posting to TikTok, Dakota Dudley (@babywearingmama) said her daughter’s body mass index (BMI) is “a little high” and her doctor is “very concerned” about her baby’s weight. The video has garnered over 620,000 views and thousands of comments encouraging the mom to find a new pediatrician.

BMI and Babies

Developed in 1832, body mass index is a person’s weight-to-height ratio used to determine the amount of body fat they have, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Healthcare providers often use BMI as a screening tool for certain health conditions and to “help diagnose weight types,” i.e. if someone is underweight, overweight, etc.

“As your BMI rises, your risk for health problems increases as well. For example, people who have BMIs in the overweight range are at higher risk for developing diabetes than people in the normal range,” the clinic explained. “Does a high BMI mean you automatically have poor health? No. Does it dramatically increase your risk of poor health? Absolutely.”

Despite how helpful BMI is in assessing an individual’s overall health, “many questions about BMI during infancy remain unanswered,” so the use of a BMI chart “is not recommended for children younger than two,” said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“The BMI in infancy is based on recumbent length rather than stature and, to date, there has been little research on what BMI calculated from length means in infancy and on the consequences of high or low BMI in infancy,” the CDC said.

However, Dudley said her child’s pediatrician not only calculated her daughter’s BMI but also used it as a factor in determining what she can and cannot eat.

‘Too Fat’

In her video, Dudley told viewers that her daughter is “exclusively breastfed” and has yet to be introduced to solid foods.

“She is 22 pounds and the doctor was very concerned…and said that I could introduce her to vegetables but not fruits because [fruits are] too high in carbs,” Dudley said. “She said that her BMI was just a little high and this is when babies store their fat for the future, so we don’t want her to get too fat.”

In the video’s text overlay, Dudley asked: “Anyone else heard of this?”

Dr. Charles Wood, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Duke University, told Newsweek that pediatricians don’t typically place restrictions on babies’ diets.

“We generally do not recommend making specific restrictions to components of diet in the first year of life, with the exception of certain dangerous food,” Wood said. “In terms of macros, carbs, proteins, etc., we encourage introductions of all sorts of foods so babies and toddlers get a good variety.”

He also said pediatricians “don’t routinely use BMI in a clinical setting” with infants.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty on that,” he said.

Viewers React

Viewers slammed Dudley’s pediatrician and encouraged her to find a new one.

“If a doctor breaks out the BMI chart at six months…Run away,” Dr. Purple Hair Teacher wrote.

“Ummmm no. We don’t fat shame anyone—let [alone] babies. New doctor!” CenteredOnEarth exclaimed.

Marriah Jones added: “Find a new doctor. That’s crap.”

In response, Dudley said she is “definitely” going to get a second opinion from another pediatrician in her area.

Newsweek reached out to Dakota Dudley for comment.

Other Viral Moments

A mother made headlines in late August after posting a video in which she said she sends her son to school with a bulletproof backpack.

Last week, commenters backed a Mumsnet poster who said she feeds her 18-month-old McDonald’s.

And in July, commenters slammed a mom who punished a teen for taking their epilepsy medication.

Updated 09/08/2022, 4:38 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from Dr. Charles Wood.