A new study reveals that baby-led weaning, a popular method for introducing solid foods to infants, provides enough calories for growth and development. This finding supports baby-led weaning, which has not been extensively studied before.
Baby-led weaning encourages infants to feed themselves whole, non-pureed foods, contrasting with the traditional approach of spoon-feeding pureed foods. Advocates say it promotes healthy eating habits, as babies can explore various foods from family meals.
Researchers used data from the Maternal and Infant Nutrition Trial (MINT), a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study, to show that baby-led weaning provides the same number of calories per kilogram as conventional weaning and may even support higher growth rates.
Matzeller will present the findings at NUTRITION 2024, the American Society for Nutrition’s annual meeting in Chicago from June 29 to July 2.
The researchers studied 70 healthy, full-term infants from the MINT study. Caregivers recorded three days of the baby’s intake from all foods, including solids and breast milk or formula. These records were used to calculate the baby’s daily intake of calories and nutrients.
A baby was considered to be following baby-led weaning if less than 10% of their caloric intake came from pureed foods. The researchers measured the babies’ weight, length, and head circumference each month to calculate their calorie and protein intake.
“Previous studies relied on self-reporting for classifying baby-led weaning,” said Matzeller. “Using diet records sets our study apart and may help standardize research on this topic.”
The study found no significant differences in energy intake between the two weaning groups. However, baby-led weaning was linked to greater increases in weight-for-age and weight-for-length scores than conventional weaning, despite similar energy intake. These scores help determine if a child’s weight is normal for their age and height. The researchers note that more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between feeding method, dietary intake, and growth.
The study also found that mothers with higher education and incomes were more likely to use baby-led weaning. While the reason wasn’t studied, researchers speculate that higher-income families might more easily afford the time and resources for food preparation and might be more exposed to alternative weaning methods.
For parents interested in baby-led weaning, Matzeller recommends following the baby’s cues and being flexible with food offerings. It’s essential to offer a varied diet when introducing solid foods.
Good foods for baby-led weaning include soft fruits, steamed vegetables, cheese, and small pieces of meat, as they are easy for babies to grasp and chew. Foods should be offered as sticks about the size of the baby’s fist to prevent choking.
“Baby-led weaning can introduce more food options to your little one,” said Matzeller. “It often takes up to 15 exposures to a food before a baby accepts it, so persistence is key.”
The researchers plan to continue studying baby-led weaning with a larger group of babies in the ongoing MINT study. They also aim to examine potential nutritional differences between weaning methods, including vitamin and mineral intakes, types of foods consumed, and the impact on dietary habits as the babies grow.
