Relationship of baby led weaning to other parenting and feeding constructs

Baby-led weaning (BLW), a popular complementary feeding style, prioritizes exploration of foods, independence of children in eating, and eating with family. Though BLW has received popular attention, empirical evidence is limited. This study measured parents' reports of BLW, parenting style, and feeding practices; analyzed BLW's relation to children's dietary intake; examined how demographic variables such as age, parent sex, education, and marital status related to the prevalence of using BLW.

This cross sectional study recruited 313 parents with children ages 6-30 months via Cloud Research, an online survey platform where individuals complete surveys for compensation. Hierarchical regressions examined how feeding style, dietary intake, and parenting style related to independence, exploration, and family subscales of BLW after controlling for relevant demographics.

The majority (69.3%) of participants identified as female, white (76.6%), middle-class (52.4%), married (69%), and a third had a bachelor's degree (37.4%). Restrictive feeding practices, Ellyn Satter's division of responsibility, and the parents' sex were significant predictors of all subscales of BLW.

Parents who use BLW allowed for an autonomous food experience and were less likely to restrict or control the child's eating. BLW appears to be related to, but distinct from, well-researched parent feeding practices such as restriction and division of responsibility.

These findings might be useful in education and interventions for healthcare professionals. Future research on BLW should examine how child behavior and nutrition outcomes compare to other feeding practices.