genesis domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/joabre2/foodintolerancepro.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114lander domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/joabre2/foodintolerancepro.com/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114A review of Baby-led Weaning By Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett 2008 Vermilion London<\/strong><\/p>\n The idea of baby-led weaning\u00a0includes two important ideas:<\/p>\n 1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The baby leads decisions on what food it is interested in. The author recommends providing a variety of foods to the baby at family meals so the baby chooses what it will experience, play with, and taste, proposing that with this method the baby will enjoy food, obtain adequate nutrition, and not have any eating problems;<\/p>\n 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Spoon-feeding of babies is more likely to produce problems such as over feeding, eating problems, and is seen as much more effort for the parents.<\/p>\n This is a useful book as it describes in detail one overall approach to food management. But is it baby-led? All the food provided for the family has to be changed to suit the baby\u2019s needs \u2013 cooked to the sizes baby can hold or manage with hands, be salt and sugar free, have fibre and fat content changed. The parent chooses, provides and places within reach the variety of foods she wants the child to choose from, and the child chooses. Only at that point of choice does the baby-led concept enter. All other aspects are parent led. (As with Clara Davis\u2019 much earlier research: see Chapter 1 of Fussy Baby).<\/p>\n Other environmental factors are worthy of note. The baby may be in a high chair or sit on the parent\u2019s knee. This can be a pleasure but having all family meals oriented towards all aspects of the baby\u2019s needs would not suit all families. Over time\u00a0there might be the temptation to slip back into usual habits, which are not geared for the important task of providing food that is specially prepared for a baby\u2019s eating development\u00a0or nutrition.<\/p>\n My cautions about Baby-led weaning<\/strong><\/p>\n The book notes how well the babies described manage and enjoy a variety of strong tastes such as spice. As someone who sees many babies who have adverse reactions to foods, or are very cautious, I am tempted to wonder if there is a selection process whereby parents\u00a0who choose to use Baby-led Weaning are those who have adventurous babies with no food sensitivities, so all usually goes well. Parents whose babies do not manage so well or who have food sensitivities may not have problems realised until months after a muddle happens. Similarly there is little attention to the other reasons families can have babies who develop slowly on solids.<\/p>\n For those adventurous babies with no other food-sensitivity or developmental problems, parent-led management might well involve no more than structuring the baby\u2019s alternatives and environment sensibly and responsibly. Development will then occur through the baby\u2019s choices between the offered alternatives.<\/p>\n But for babies who start to encounter problems, parent-led management requires more attention and care. This is where ideas in the idea of eating development described in Fussy Baby can be helpful. The ideas sits between no-problem introduction of solids and extreme food refusal<\/p>\n