A team at Nottingham University believe pureed foods such as mashed fruits and vegetables promote a sweet tooth in babies following research.

The study looked at the eating behaviour of 155 children ranging in ages from 20 months to six years. It found that babies who used their fingers to feed themselves favoured carbohydrates such as toast to sweet things.

Dr. Ellen Townsend took various factors into account including birth weight, how long they were breastfed for and if their parents were rich or poor when looking into the weight difference between the spoon fed and the finger fed babies.

The results

The weight different between the two remained even after the above factors were taken into account, though most babies in both control groups were of normal weight.

The study involved questionnaires which suggested that children who were introduced to finger foods early favoured foods such as pitta bread and pasta compared to sugary, fruit purees.

Youngsters who started with spoon feeding were offered a variety of carbohydrates, proteins, fruit and vegetables and whole meals such as lasange more often than the baby-led counterparts but still opted for sweeter purees. Spoon fed babies were more likely to be obese than baby-led weaning babies.

Dr. Townsend believes giving babies the opportunity to choose how much they want to eat gives them the power to choose when they are full. She said, “It could be an age of introduction effect that we are seeing. Carbohydrates are ideal finger foods.

“But self-control of feeding may also be a factor. You are handing over control and letting the baby decide how much they want to eat.

“With spoon feeding there is the temptation to get into them whatever is left in the bowl or the jar.”

More Information and support

Our nutrition expert, Charlotte Stirling-Reed, says, “This is another interesting article from the BBC but one that may add to the current confusion around feeding practices for mothers and their babies, especially with such a bold title!

“Whichever way you choose to feed your baby is fine and everyone is entitled to their own opinion around what is best for their own baby. However the most important thing to remember is that it is important to ensure that baby is getting enough variety in the foods that they eat each day. Fingerfoods are especially important when weaning to encourage self-feeding from a young age but it is also a good idea to teach your baby how to take solid foods from a spoon. Offering plenty of different foods, as purees or fingerfoods will help your baby to accept foods in the long run as preferences for certain foods are developed from a young age.”

Source: BMJ

Photography: Leon Brocard @Flickr