A UK study has revealed that according to their research, babies fed solid finger food may become healthier adults.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham, studied two groups:
One group who used baby-led weaning, where the baby is allowed to feed him or herself from a choice of foods after 6 months.
A second group used spoon-feeding, in which parents fed pureed food and increased texture as they grew.
The results showed that an increase of underweight children in the baby-led group and higher obesity rates in the spoon-fed group. No difference in picky eating was found between the two groups.
Additionally, the study also found that baby-led weaning had a positive impact on the liking of carbohydrates, while the spoon-fed group preferred sweet foods.
The researchers came to the conclusion that weaning style does have an impact on food preferences and health in early childhood.
Image Sources:
