Weaning Babies [recommended Eating With Their Hands]

2023 Author: Abraham Higgins | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-30 04:59

Weaning babies [recommended eating with their hands]

The benefits of self-feeding in babies during weaning have been proven. According to the study, children who were spoon-fed various mashed potatoes were more likely to ask their parents for sweets and were more prone to obesity than their peers who ate slices of fruit and bread. The latter, on the contrary, more often corresponded to the age norms of body weight.

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Self-consumption of solid foods has been proven for infants during weaning, AFP reports. Ellen Townsend and Nicola Pitchford conducted a study at the University of Nottingham in the UK.

They studied the dietary preferences of 155 infants during the period when breastfeeding was stopped. The age of the study participants ranged from 20 months to 6.5 years. In 60 percent of cases, parents allowed their offspring to eat solid food with their hands (in particular, pieces of fruit and small slices of toast). The rest of the children were spoon-fed various mashed potatoes.

According to the study, children from the second group received a more balanced diet. Despite this, they were more likely to ask their parents for sweets and were more prone to obesity than their self-fed peers.

On the contrary, in the group of those who ate solid food, babies more often corresponded to the age norms of body weight. They preferred pasta, rice, and other foods high in carbohydrates to sweets.

The authors of the work believe that self-consumption of solid foods contributes to the formation of healthier eating habits in children. According to the researchers, this way of eating is an effective prevention of obesity.