Baby-Led Weaning, an Overview of the New Approach to Food Introduction: Integrative Literature Review

Abstract

Data summary: We identified 106 articles, of which 17 met the selection criteria. The Baby-Led Weaning method was significantly associated with the baby's satiety, the start of complementary feeding, and adequacy of weight gain. On the other hand, choking and the intake of micronutrients were negatively associated, however with no statistical differences.Conclusions: Despite the benefits found, the risks still deserve attention and should be investigated with longitudinal randomized controlled studies to ensure the safety of the method when practiced exclusively.

Complementary feeding with traditional and baby led weaning (BLW) methods - assessment of selected aspects of infant's diet

“…We can mention such benefits as the prevention of obesity, due to the support of the infant's self-regulation, the higher consumption of fruit and vegetables, the better development of the child's motor skills, or the positive influence on the mother's and father's behaviour. The child is activated to consume meals with the family, there is no pressure on the time and amount of food consumed, as well as interaction with the food served, widely analyzing also the sensory aspects, through various textures of the food served, which affects the formation of a more beneficial relationship of the child with food [41]. According to the study by Brown and Lee, infants whose parents used the BLW method were more prone to satiation and independent compared to children fed traditionally.…”

Parents’ Perception of the Complementary Baby-Led Weaning Feeding Method: A Validation Study

“…For the Factor 1 the main benefits highlighted in the literature for this feeding method are the infant’s autonomy and development [ 8 ]. For Factor 2, the BLW method has been shown to have a significant impact on child health [ 22 ], for example, with childhood obesity [ 23 ]. The last factor, fear of establishing BLW, can become a determining factor when implementing this feeding method.…”

Complementary feeding: Should baby be leading the way?

“…When the baby‐led approach is adopted, infants are provided with finger foods from the initiation of weaning and self‐select from the same foods that the rest of the family are consuming. 4 It is claimed that this enables the development of the neural pathways that control satiety and enhances motor skills. It has been argued that freeing the infant from parental pressure to eat encourages self‐regulation of appetite and will reduce risk of childhood obesity.…”