Stacy Procter

Community Nursery Nurse

Small changes can make a huge difference to a child’s health and wellbeing. I first measured Amina’s height and weight when she was two; she was above the 98th centile on the child growth chart which meant she was at risk of not achieving a healthy growth throughout life. Any child measuring over the 91st centile will usually be discussed with their parents.

Using my HENRY training and resources such as portion sizes and a balancing a young child’s plate, I chatted to Amina’s mum Salma about how we could work together to identify realistic changes that could be made to promote a healthy lifestyle for Amina and the rest of the family.

I am so passionate about HENRY. Its focus is on forming a partnership with parents rather than simply giving advice. This approach helped me to support Salma to think about small changes she’d like to make at home.

Recently I saw Amina for a growth review. She came bounding into clinic telling me "I’ve stopped my bottles, I drink out of a cup now." The last time I’d seen her she was eating crisps; this time she was asking mum for an apple. The result of these changes was staggering. Amina had dropped three centiles and is now tracking the 75th centile.

How you approach a family holds the key to success. No one wants to be told their lifestyle is unhealthy, or that their child is obese. This is why HENRY’s approach works so well. It’s about working with parents to achieve changes that are sustainable.