Baby-Led Weaning (BLW):
Created by Gill Rapley (Co-author of BLW) and made popular in recent years on the internet, BLW refers to providing your infant with chunks or strips of regular food and letting them make decisions on what and how much they will eat.
This way of feeding stems from the autonomy in feeding, where parents introduce different types of food, but the child decides if and how much they will eat, without pressure from the parent. Autonomy in feeding positively impacts feeding behaviours and food intake in children.
As with skills needed to start solids, it is important to identify that your child can sit upright with minimal support, hold their head upright whilst seated, as well as pick up objects to their mouth prior to starting BLW.
It is recommended in BLW that your child is given a wide variety of foods, especially those rich in iron such as shredded chicken over those high in sodium or sugar. Other foods you can start with include steamed, mushable vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, or sweet potato, as well as soft fruits such as banana, avocado, or mango.
Considerations:
Benefits:
- Motor skills: Self feeding supports children in practicing fine motor skills such as developing a pincer grasp, as well as coordination needed to bring food to their mouth.
- Independence: Children have more opportunities to make decisions on how much and what they want to eat based on the food offered. This can support self regulation, body awareness, and a developing sense of autonomy.
- Family meals: As your child explores food at their own pace, families are able to sit and eat alongside them. Shared mealtime has been associated with positive social, emotional, and language development. Research from Columbia University also highlights the importance of regular family meals in supporting children’s overall development and wellbeing.
Concerns:
- Choking vs gagging: A common concern with offering pieces of food instead of purées is the risk of choking. BLW places strong emphasis on caregivers understanding the difference between gagging and choking. Ensuring your child can hold their head up independently and sit upright prior to starting solids can also greatly reduce the risk of choking.
- Choking refers to a piece of food blocking a baby’s windpipe and therefore is silent
- Gagging includes an audible sound as the body engages its safety mechanism to prevent choking.
- Nutritional concerns: The evidence is still murky on this concern, however, the general advice is to keep an eye out on growth falters or iron deficiencies. You can help prevent this by providing more iron rich foods or supplementing with purees.
- Messy: Food exploration is messy whether or not you take on baby-led weaning. It is just part of the natural process our children go through to learn about food. So embrace the mess (within your means and reason) and focus on learning about food!
Current research does not identify baby-led weaning (BLW) or traditional spoon-feeding as a superior method for introducing solids. Both approaches can support healthy development when implemented safely and appropriately.
While baby-led weaning has potential benefits — such as promoting self-feeding skills, autonomy, and exposure to varied textures — it also requires a good understanding of safe food preparation, choking risk reduction, nutritional adequacy (particularly iron intake), and oral motor development.
Conclusion:
Unless caregivers feel confident and well-informed about how to provide foods that are safe, nutritionally appropriate, and supportive of oral skill development, it may be helpful to:
- Combine baby-led weaning with traditional spoon-feeding (a mixed approach), or
- Seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional (e.g., paediatrician, dietitian, or speech pathologist trained in feeding).
Ultimately, the best approach is one that supports your infant’s safety, nutritional needs, developmental readiness, and your family’s comfort and confidence.
References
Marshall, Jeanne. (2022, Mar 11). Baby-led weaning or spoon feeding: Mush or a mushness?
Retrieved from:
https://www.theinformedslp.com/review/baby-led-weaning-or-spoon-feeding-mush-of-a-mushness
Potock, M. (2014, Feb 4). Baby-Led Weaning: A Developmental Perspective.
Retrieved from:
https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/baby-led-weaning-a-developmental-perspective/full/
The London Speech and Feeding Practice. (2024, May 24). Baby-Led Weaning: A Speech and Language Therapist’s Take.
Retrieved from:
https://londonspeechandfeeding.co.uk/post/baby-led-weaning-a-speech-and-language-therapists-take/
