Baby-led weaning, where babies self-feed solid foods rather than being spoon-fed puréed foods, is becoming increasingly popular among parents. But what does the science say about its nutritional benefits or drawbacks? According to a recent small study led by Kinzie Matzeller at the University of Colorado, babies who feed themselves appear to consume the same number of calories as those who are spoon-fed, suggesting no significant nutritional advantage or disadvantage to either method.
Matzeller and her team conducted a study involving 100 healthy five-month-old babies in Denver, Colorado. Parents recorded their babies’ food and milk intake over three days and weighed the food before and after meals to measure consumption. These records were collected again when the babies were nine and twelve months old. The researchers also weighed and measured the babies at these intervals.
The study identified 35 infants following a baby-led weaning approach, defined as consuming less than 10% of their calories from puréed foods. For comparison, the team selected 35 conventionally fed babies matched by ethnicity, sex, and feeding method (breastfed or formula-fed). The findings, presented by Matzeller at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Chicago on June 30, revealed no significant differences in daily energy intake (calories per kilogram of body weight) between the groups at any age point.
Interestingly, the baby-led weaning group consumed about 22% more protein at nine months, but this difference leveled out by twelve months. Despite these nuances, the study suggests that both feeding methods support healthy growth and development in babies.
As baby-led weaning continues to gain traction, parents need to make informed decisions based on their child’s needs and their family’s lifestyle. While the choice between self-feeding and spoon-feeding may not significantly impact overall calorie intake, each family can find the method that works best for them and their baby’s journey to solid foods.
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