Weaning on finger foods may help children stay healthy weight

7th February 2012 - Infants allowed to feed themselves with finger foods from the start of weaning are likely to eat more healthily and be an appropriate weight as they get older, than infants spoon-fed purees, according to a small UK study of 155 children aged 20 months to six and a half years.

Although numerous studies have focused on when to introduce solid foods into an infant’s diet, the authors of this latest study found little about the impact of different weaning methods on food preferences and health.

Their latest findings may have implications for combating obesity in children.

Baby led weaning

If your child is over the age of 10 it's possible you won't have heard about baby led weaning.  Quite simply it means letting your child feed themselves suitably-sized pieces of proper food from the very start of weaning, at about six months. So, no pureeing food, no ice cube trays, no baby rice.

If you have a family history of allergies or digestive problems, if your baby was born prematurely or has impaired fine motor skills, it's recommended you speak with your health visitor or GP before starting baby led weaning.

The study

The researchers from Nottingham University base their findings on 155 children between the ages of 20 months and six and a half, whose parents completed a detailed questionnaire about their children’s weaning style and food preferences.

92 of the children had been allowed to feed themselves with finger foods (baby led group) and 63 had been spoon-fed pureed foods throughout weaning.

Sweet and savoury

Significant differences in food preferences were found for only one food group: children in the baby led group liked carbohydrates more than children who had been spoon-fed. In fact, carbohydrates were the favourite foods of children in the baby led weaning group; children in the spoon-fed group liked sweet foods the best.

This was despite the fact that along with sweet foods, children in the spoon-fed group had also been offered carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, proteins and whole meals, such as lasagne, more often than their peers in the baby led weaning group.

The authors suggest that carbohydrates presented whole, like toast, may enhance a child’s awareness of textures, which are lost when food is pureed, although the preference for carbohydrates could simply be that they are easier to chew than other solids, such as meat.

Weight issues

Researchers found more children in the spoon-fed group were overweight/obese than those in the baby led group, who tended to be an appropriate weight for their height, age, and gender.

The baby-led approach was, however, associated with a higher incidence of underweight infants relative to the spoon-fed group.

The researchers conclude: "Our study suggests that baby-led weaning has a positive impact on the liking for foods that form the building blocks of healthy nutrition, such as carbohydrates. This has implications for combating the well documented rise of obesity in contemporary societies."

Limitations

One limitation of the study is that it relied on using a self-report questionnaire to find out how and what the infants were fed. A second criticism is the small sample size.

The study is published in BMJ Open.