Baby-led weaning

The baby-led weaning (often also referred to as BLW) method allows a baby to control her solid food intake by self-feeding from the beginning of the weaning process. Infants are offered only (or mainly, depending on the approach) finger food from no earlier than six months and onwards.

There is still very little scientific research on the subject, but the existing study by Gill Rapley suggests that the method is best suited for breastfed babies. This is because breastfeeding allows babies to regulate their own milk intake from the very start, and by 6 months they are already used to managing the amount of food they consume. Using the baby-led weaning method for formula-fed babies should always be discussed with a health professional before starting. However, at the moment there is no evidence that suggests bottle-fed babies could not be weaned using the baby-led method.

Initial self-feeding attempts often result in very little food ingested as the baby explores textures and tastes, but she will soon start to swallow and digest what is offered. Breastfeeding is continued in conjunction with weaning.

General information

Baby-led weaning places the emphasis on exploring taste, texture, colour and smell as the baby sets their own pace for the meal, choosing which foods to concentrate on. Instead of the traditional method of spooning puréed food into the baby's mouth, the baby is presented with a plate of varied finger food from which she may choose. According to one theory, the baby will choose foods with the nutrients she might be slightly lacking, guided by taste. The baby learns most effectively by watching and imitating others, and allowing her to eat the same food at the same time as the rest of the family contributes to a positive weaning experience. At six months babies learn to chew and grasp and this is therefore the ideal time to begin introducing finger food.

Self-feeding supports the child’s motor development on many vital areas, such as their hand-eye coordination and chewing. It encourages the child towards independence and often provides a stress-free alternative for meal times, for both the child and the parents. Some babies refuse to eat solids when offered with a spoon, but happily help themselves to finger food.

As recommended by the World Health Organization and several other health authorities across the world, there is no need to introduce solid food to a baby’s diet until after 6 months, and by then the child’s digestive system and her fine motor skills have developed enough to allow her to self-feed. Baby-led weaning takes advantage of the natural development stages of the child.

Signs of readiness

It is very important that baby-led weaning is not started before the child shows developmental signs indicating that she is ready to cope with solid foods. The baby should be able to sit well without support, eager to participate in mealtime and maybe even trying to grab food and put it in her mouth. The child should show signs of developing a pincer grasp, as well as an ability and willingness to chew. Also, the baby should have lost the tongue-thrust reflex (which normally disappears around 6 months), as the reflex might bring the food into the back of the baby’s throat and some gagging and/or choking might occur.

As with any other weaning method, ensuring that the child has reached the right developmental level will dramatically reduce any potential safety hazards related to choking, allergies and digestion problems.

Safety

Many parents are used to the idea of giving babies puréed food and to some, giving such a young child finger food might sound dangerous. However, according to a statement on the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative website, "there is little or no scientific basis for the currently-accepted method of offering first foods as spoon-fed purees and that more research into effective weaning practices is urgently needed". Babies weaned using the baby-led method are actually less likely to choke on their food, as they are not capable of moving food from the front of the mouth to the back until they have learnt to chew. In turn, they do not learn to chew until they have learnt to grasp objects and place them in their mouth. Therefore the baby's general development keeps pace with her ability to manage food.

If a child gets a piece of food too far back in their mouth, they will often promptly clear it themselves by gagging or coughing the piece out. According to Gill Rapley this seems to be fairly common and not dangerous - it's simply nature's way of preventing any risk of choking.

Food should not be placed in the baby's mouth for her. If the baby is unable to pick up and grasp the food, she will also be unable to cope with chewing and swallowing it. It is also very important that the baby is sitting up straight and well supported during mealtimes and never left unattended while self-feeding.

Basic principles

The basic principles of baby-led weaning are:

• At the start of the process the baby is allowed to reject food, and it may be offered again at a later date.
• The child is allowed to decide how much she wants to eat. No "fill-ups" are to be offered at the end of the meal with a spoon.
• The meals should not be hurried.
• Sips of water are offered with meals.
• Initially, soft fruits and vegetables are given. Harder foods are lightly cooked to make them soft enough to chew on even with bare gums.
• Food given is free of added salt and sugar.
• Food is not cut into bite-sized pieces as these are difficult for the baby to pick up and handle.
• Food is offered in baton-shaped pieces or in natural shapes that have a 'handle' (such as broccoli florets), so that the baby can get a good grip and chew one end.
• Foods with clear danger, such as peanuts, are not offered.

Resources

There is still very little, if any information published on baby-led weaning. With the exception of the research done by Gill Rapley, most of the information available about the subject is passed on from parent to parent in the Internet parenting forums and blogs. In these, mothers interested in baby-led weaning offer each other peer support and share their knowledge and experiences.

Other

In this article weaning is considered as the process of gradually introducing the infant to solid foodstuffs. Baby-led weaning is not to be confused with natural weaning which is also sometimes called baby-led weaning.

See also

• Breastfeeding
• Baby food

References

• Gill Rapley's Guidelines for Baby-led Weaning
• Baby-led weaning: the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative's position
• Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
• Kellymom Breastfeeding & Parenting Site
• IWMM Gill Rapley Webchat

External links

• Yahoo B-LW Group
• Baby-Led Weaning Blog
• BBC Radio 4 Baby-led weaning discussion