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Allowing babies to feed themselves rather than being spoonfed by their parents could reduce the likelihood of them becoming overweight, according to a new study.

A research team from Swansea University found that babies who fed themselves during weaning were less likely to overeat or be overweight as toddlers than babies who are weaned by being spoon fed.

The study, published by the Pediatric Obesity journal, compared weight and eating style of children weaned using baby-led weaning with those using a traditional spoon feeding style.

Baby-led weaning allows infants to feed themselves family foods from the start of weaning. Instead of the parent spoon feeding the baby pureed foods, babies are offered a range of whole foods which they pick up and eat themselves.

This two stage study looked at a sample of 298 babies. The first phase studied babies and how they were introduced to solid foods between the ages of six and 12 months while phase two studied the weight and eating behaviour of the same infants between 18 and 24 months.

The study found those infants weaned using a baby-led approach had a better ability to stop eating when full, were less likely to overeat and were less likely to be ‘fussy’ eaters than those who had been weaned using spoon feeding.

The report said: “Infants weaned using a baby-led approach were significantly more satiety-responsive and less likely to be overweight.

“This was independent of breastfeeding duration, timing of introduction to complementary foods and maternal control.”

Recent figures from Public Health Wales’ childhood measurement programme showed the extent of childhood obesity in Wales, with 28% of children aged four or five being overweight or obese.

Dr Amy Brown, from the University’s College of Human and Health Sciences, said: “The study indicates that taking a baby led approach to weaning may reduce a baby’s risk of being overweight as they are in control of their food intake.

“This results in the baby being better able to control his or her appetite which could have a long-term impact upon weight gain and eating style that may continue into childhood.

“Childhood obesity remains a concern and has many negative health and social implications.

“While there are many factors that contribute to this, there is increasing recognition of the role of feeding style during infancy on how a child’s eating style develops.

“Responsive feeding, which means allowing the child to regulate their appetite and not pressurising them to eat more than they need, is a really important step in encouraging children to develop healthy eating patterns for life.”