Hi everyone,
I have also posted this over on the BLW site 
Those of you who have been around on here for a bit may remember taking part in some of my research probably around 18 months ago now. The good news is that we have now had two papers accepted
One is out already but you will need to be a subscriber to see the full paper
... x/abstract
Abstract
An alternative to traditional weaning methods known as baby-led weaning (BLW) appears to be emerging in the UK. This approach advocates bypassing typical weaning practices of spoon-feeding puréed foods or baby rice, encouraging instead the introduction of foods in their whole form to the infant from 6 months old. A key tenet of BLW is self-feeding. Anecdotally, the practice of BLW appears to be gaining in popularity. However, research evidence is scant, and little is known about the nature of BLW and the demography of those who utilize it. This study aimed to characterize a sample of women who have chosen to adopt the BLW method and to describe associated attitudes and behaviours. Six hundred and fifty five mothers with a child between 6 months and 12 months of age provided information about timing of weaning onset, use of spoon-feeding and purées, and experiences of weaning and mealtimes. Those participants who used a BLW method reported little use of spoon-feeding and purées and were more likely to have a higher education, higher occupation, be married and have breastfed their infant. BLW was associated with a later introduction of complementary foods, greater participation in meal times and exposure to family foods. Levels of anxiety about weaning and feeding were lower in mothers who adopted a BLW approach. These findings provide an insight into BLW practices and the characteristics of a small population of users.
The second one has only just been accepted so is only out on very early view and can be found here
www.springerlink.com/content/u33x50061702175g/
Abstract
A controlling maternal feeding style has been shown to have a negative impact on child eating style and weight in children over the age of 12 months. The current study explores maternal feeding style during the period of 6?12 months when infants are introduced to complementary foods. Specifically it examines differences between mothers who choose to follow a traditional weaning approach using spoon feeding and pureés to mothers following a baby-led approach where infants are allowed to self feed foods in their solid form. Seven hundred and two mothers with an infant aged 6?12 months provided information regarding weaning approach alongside completing the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Information regarding infant weight and perceived size was also collected. Mothers following a baby-led feeding style reported significantly lower levels of restriction, pressure to eat, monitoring and concern over child weight compared to mothers following a standard weaning response. No association was seen between weaning style and infant weight or perceived size. A baby-led weaning style was associated with a maternal feeding style which is low in control. This could potentially have a positive impact upon later child weight and eating style. However due to the cross sectional nature of the study it cannot be ascertained whether baby-led weaning encourages a feeding style which is low in control to develop or whether mothers who are low in control choose to follow a baby-led weaning style.
I am also in the middle of trying to finish off another paper looking at experiences of using the method but am currently uddling a rather lovely 4 week old baby so it might take a little time
Thanks to all of those who took part. If anyone took part in the follow up study we have now finished collecting data and are hoping to look at it soon. If you have any questions you can email me if you like
a.e.brown @ swansea.ac.uk (obviously without spaces)
Amy