Spoon-feeding babies ‘raises risk of obesity’

SPOON-FEEDING babies could raise the risk of them becoming obese as they get older, a book claims.

Encouraging children to feed independently once they are ready for solids results in more adventurous, as well as healthier eaters, experts say.

Amy Brown, associate professor of public health at Swansea University, said parents should not spoon-feed babies beyond the first six months.

Her book, Why Starting Solids Matters, includes a study of 300 infants which found those who continued to be spoonfed were twice as likely to be overweight by the time they are toddlers.

It says allowing babies to pick what they want from a range of ‘finger foods’ meant they were ‘significantly more’ able to stop eating when they felt full.

Dr Brown told the Sunday Times that parent-led spoon-feeding can mean children eat more than they need or want, raising the risk of weight problems in later life. She said: ‘When you are waving the spoon around and saying “Here comes the big aeroplane – let’s finish it”, if they clamp their mouth shut, forget about it. They will not starve.’

The study looked at how 298 babies were introduced to solid foods between six and 12 months. At 18 to 24 months, 19 per cent of the spoon-fed babies were overweight but only 8 per cent of those who ate independently.