Solid food weaning 'best'
Tuesday February 7th, 2012
Parents may do better for their infants by weaning them with solid food rather than with pureed food, British researchers report today.
Weaning
with solid finger food makes a child more likely to be happy to eat health
food, according to a study in Nottingham, UK.
And it also means a child is less likely to be overweight.
The findings come from a survey of some 150 parents with young children, reported in BMJ Open. Psychologists asked them to recall how they weaned their child.
About 40 per cent used spoon-feeding with smooth purees and 60 per cent used solid finger food after the age of six months.
The researchers found that neither technique reduced the chances of a child being a "picky" eater - but that those which were spoon-fed were more likely to have a taste for sweet food.
Children who were given solid finger food were happier to eat carbohydrates, such as bread.
Researcher Dr Ellen Townsend, of Nottingham University, said: "Although numerous studies have focused on when to introduce solid foods into an infant's diet there is a dearth of evidence concerning the impact of different weaning methods on food preferences and health prospects.
"We believe our report is the first piece of research to examine whether weaning method can influence food preferences and the future health of the child."
Tags: Child Health | Diet & Food | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
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