Baby-Led Weaning (BLW)
Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) By Brian W. Donnelly, M.D., F.A.B.M. AHN Pediatrics Northland Baby-led weaning (BLW) is becoming more popular in the USA. The idea of the infant feeding practice is to wait until around 6 months old, then introduce finger foods to the baby. Waiting that long is recommended by both the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The waiting is based on the observations that most babies don’t need extra nutrition until then and most babies are developmentally ready by that age. Gone is the recommendation to spoon feed the baby rice cereal at 4 months old. The term “baby-led” is something of a misnomer. The parent/caregiver still leads the feeding experience, but the infant is more of a partner. The baby’s likes and dislikes are observed and followed. The baby controls the speed of the process. A favorite food might be eaten more quickly, while a food the baby is still pondering the merits of will be consumed more slowly. Th...