Guide to baby-led weaning (BLW)

This is an automatically translated article.

Anorexia, lazy eating, children not interested in food when forced by their parents can affect children's psyche. For these cases, parents can apply the method of feeding the baby with command so that they no longer have to work hard to grind and grind food as well as patiently feed the child each spoon.

1. What is self-directed weaning?

Baby led weaning method is also known as self-directed weaning method. With this method, children will be able to decide for themselves what to eat in their meals, how much to eat and how to eat. Parents only perform the task of providing food and this method can bring many benefits to children if parents apply it correctly.
Command weaning is done for babies 6 months and up and the baby will skip the stages of eating pureed, mashed foods and go on manual solids day. With this method, children can choose their own food and eat the desired amount of food, all eating activities will not need adult support.
Food used for babies is often cut into soft pieces so that children can hold them in their hands instead of using a spoon to feed them. Parents can cut adult food into easy-to-handle pieces and put it on their child's plate or food tray so that the child can feed himself or herself the way the child wants and needs.
How to feed baby blw will help children practice the skill of chewing food before swallowing. In addition, children can also control the amount of food each meal, so it will avoid the case that the child is forced by parents to eat too much or eat too little.

2. Time to implement self-directed weaning

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) along with expert advice, the most appropriate time to start introducing self-directed weaning is with babies over 6 months old and solid foods from their parents. children in the solid form. Because, at this age, most children can already sit on their own and grasp objects with their hands. Moreover, most children over 6 months old have no longer reflexes to spit food, their digestive system is also gradually improving.
However, for peace of mind and to know exactly how to feed babies with this method, parents should get support and advice from pediatricians. In addition, when parents are just starting to feed their children, observe how children's attitude and activity react to this method, in order to have a way to support the child's response.

3. How to feed your baby with command

To implement the self-directed weaning method, parents should apply a number of principles to be effective:
Have the baby wear a bib larger than the normal bib size: When feeding the baby, parents Dress your child in a large nest and spread a pad under the child's seat to make cleaning up after meals easier. Mother continues to breastfeed: In order to maintain the frequency of breastfeeding or bottle-feeding when the baby is not self-directed weaning, it is necessary to ensure nutritional needs. During the first year of life, babies will get most of their nutrients from breast milk or formula. Do not force children to eat: Babies still receive nutrition from breast milk or formula, so they may not eat much at first when weaning. Therefore, parents should not force their children to eat too much, but let them decide for themselves how much food they use. With this commanding way of weaning, parents only need to focus on choosing and providing the right food for the child so that the child can eat according to his or her needs. Parents should cut food into sticks or squares to make it easier for children to hold. At the same time, when using this food shape, children can easily hold and eat from top to bottom. Introduce children to food. When starting to introduce solid foods to babies, mothers should use a little food so that the baby can use and then increase the amount of food. Parents should not pay too much attention to their children's use of dishes because they may have a habit of throwing food on the floor. Instead of using cups and forks, parents can place them directly on the tray of the high chair. Sometimes, parents can also let the baby use a spoon or fork that is suitable and safe for the child. Parents focus on motivating children when they make meals, treat children's meals as playtime for children to discover many new things from foods such as textures or experiences about chewing skills and eating habits. swallow. The ultimate goal of self-directed weaning is to help children become familiar with a variety of foods and freely choose according to their preferences. Adding a variety of foods to help children develop both taste and not being picky eaters. Moreover, parents should choose for their children foods with colorful colors and different textures such as tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, watermelon... to create excitement for children.

4. Foods suitable for self-directed weaning

The foods selected according to the self-directed weaning method include soft foods that are cut into small pieces, which are convenient for the child to handle and cannot choke when used. Suggested food groups parents can choose from:
Nutrient-containing foods that provide carbohydrates or carbohydrates, including foods such as cereals, potatoes, tubers, etc. to help provide energy amount and fiber needed for children. The group of foods containing nutrients that provide fat includes cooking oil, animal fat, butter, cheese... to help provide energy in the most concentrated form. Fat helps your baby's body have good skin, not only that, but it also helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins well, and develop brain cells and the nervous system. Nutrient food groups that provide protein include meat, fish, eggs, shrimp, ... to help build the body and synthesize antibodies to protect the body. In addition, parents should supplement dairy products such as yogurt, pasteurized soft cheese... The nutrient-rich food group that provides vitamins and minerals includes foods rich in vitamins and minerals such as green vegetables, ripe fruits... these substances are intended to regulate the activities of the child's body, especially rich in fiber to prevent constipation in children. In the process of food preparation, parents should note that there is no need to add salt, sugar or artificial sweeteners to children's food because these spices do not provide nutrients for children. Moreover, when there are spices, the child's taste buds are distorted. Parents should avoid giving children processed foods, packaged foods, .. because these foods contain many additives in food as well as unhealthy fats.

5. Benefits of applying self-directed weaning for children

According to the research results, the method of leading weaning has a number of benefits for young children as follows:
Children will become familiar with a variety of foods with different textures and flavors, thereby helping to Develop children's varied and healthy eating preferences. Moreover, this method also helps to detect foods that can cause allergy symptoms in children. Using self-directed weaning helps children reduce the risk of being overweight or obese, because they can eat according to their needs. Children master the skills of chewing and swallowing to help digest food more smoothly. Develop children's fine motor skills such as hand dexterity or coordination skills. However, besides the possible benefits of the self-directed weaning method, this method also causes some difficulties such as:
The placement of meals for children is very messy because the child holds the food by himself. . It is possible that children will experience iron deficiency because foods high in iron such as beef make it difficult for them to chew and swallow. Therefore, the baby needs to add the necessary micronutrients: Zinc, selenium, chromium, vitamins B1 and B6, ginger, acerola fruit extract (vitamin C),... to improve taste, eat well, achieve The height and weight are right and beyond the standard, the immune system is good, and the resistance is enhanced so that there are less minor illnesses and less digestive problems.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.