Table 1 Topic Guide

To investigate parental perceptions on the factors associated with the development of excess weight in infancy.

Please tell me about your baby’s growth since birth, have you ever had any concerns or worries about their growth?

Do you think you would be concerned if you thought your baby was gaining weight too quickly?

What do you think could be some of the reasons why a baby might gain excess weight? [Expand by asking why these factors, how important factors are in relation to each other]

Discussion and opinion about other reasons

How much control do you think a parent has over their baby’s weight?

Are you aware of any other factors that you think may be important and related to a child becoming overweight?

To explore parents’ perceptions on the solutions to, and prevention of overweight in infancy.

What do you think could be done to help an infant from gaining weight too quickly?

Who needs to be involved in helping to prevent children becoming overweight/to help children remain a healthy weight? Whose responsibility do you think it is to intervene?

How much control do you think parents have in preventing children from becoming too large/big, when they are a baby? Have you ever felt or have known other parents that have felt blamed when their babies/children become overweight? Where does the blame come from?

To explore parents’ beliefs on the benefits, harms of and emotional response to the idea of an intervention in which the future risk of their infant developing childhood obesity is identified and communicated.

If a Dr./Health Visitor was able to assess a babies future risk of becoming an overweight child do you think they should do this?

Who should they tell/why? What should they say? How would it be best explained

As a parent, what might be the benefits of knowing this information?

What concerns do you think you might have as a parent?

What support do you think you would like or need having been told about this?