BLW रेलवे स्टेशन की जानकारी और BLW से ट्रेनें
"Baby-led weaning" (often also referred to as "BLW") is a method of adding complementary foods to a baby's diet of breastmilk
formula. A method of food progression, BLW facilitates the development of age appropriate oral motor control while maintaining eating as a positive, interactive experience . Baby-led weaning allows babies to control their solid food consumption by "self-feeding" from the very beginning of their experiences with food. The term ''weaning'' should not be taken to imply giving up breastmilk
formula, but simply the introduction of foods other than breastmilk
formula.
Baby-led weaning (term self-attributed to Gill Rapley ) places the emphasis on exploring taste, texture, color and smell as the baby sets their own pace for the meal, choosing which foods to concentrate on. Instead of the traditional method of spooning pureed food into the baby's mouth, the baby is presented with a plate of varied finger food from which to choose. Infants are offered a range of foods to provide a Human nutrition from around 6 months. They often begin by picking up and licking
sucking on the piece food, before progressing to eating. Babies are typically able to begin self-feeding at around 6 months old, although some are ready and will reach for food as early as 5 months and some will wait until 7
8 months. The intention of this process is that it is tailored to suit the individual baby and their personal development. The 6-month-old guideline provided by the World Health Organization is based on research indicating that the time period from 6 to 18-24 months of age is when the risk of malnutrition is high in infants.
Initial self-feeding attempts often result in very little food Ingestion as the baby explores wiktionary:texture and tastes through play, but the baby will soon start to Swallowing and digest what is offered. Formula
breastfeeding is continued in conjunction with weaning and milk is always offered before solids in the first 12 months. Although breastfeeding is the nutritional ideal wiktionary:precursor to baby led weaning (as the baby has been exposed to different flavors via its mother's breast milk and the Jaw#The jaw in mammals used during breastfeeding helps the baby learn to chew), it is also entirely possible to introduce a formula-fed baby to solids using the BLW method. Formula-fed babies can successfully wean using BLW.
Providing an infant with table foods initiates the development of strong oral motor control for chewing and swallowing, including tongue lateralization and eventual bolus formation. When an infant mouths a food texture, the tongue lateralization reflex forces them to move their tongue to the side to lick and taste the food. Through continued practice, infants learn to volitionally lateralize their tongue—the first step in the development of a munching/chewing pattern.
The basic principles of baby-led weaning are:, At the start of the process the baby is allowed to reject food, and it may be offered again at a later date., The child is allowed to decide how much it wants to eat. No "fill-ups" are to be offered at the end of the meal with a spoon., The meals should not be hurried., Meals should be offered at times when parents are also eating, to set example and aid in learning through behavior mirroring., Sips of water are offered with meals., Initially, soft fruits and vegetables are given. Harder foods are lightly cooked to make them soft enough to chew on even with bare gums., Non-finger-foods, such as oatmeal and yogurt, may be offered with a spoon so the baby can learn to self-feed with a spoon.
As recommended by the World Health Organization and several other health authorities across the world, there is no need to introduce solid food to a baby's diet until after 6 months, and by then the child's digestive system and their fine motor skills have developed enough to allow them to self-feed. Baby-led weaning takes advantage of the natural Child development of the child.
From infancy, the only oral motor pattern appreciated is suck-swallow-breathe. This reflexive way of eating allows infants to feed from birth (from a breast
bottle) while protecting their airway and meeting their nutritional needs. Through playful exploration, BLW provides an opportunity for infants to practice new oral motor patterns. Through this method, infants gradually develop the oral motor patterns required for mature bolus manipulation, chewing, and swallowing, as well as allow the infant to be in charge of what goes in their mouth, how it goes in, and when.
The authors of BLW assert other strategies which are in line with traditional feeding safety guidelines. For example, it is recommended that infants are seated upright, in a supportive high chair for all feeding experiences. This reduces the impact of gravity on swallowing, allowing for easy expulsion of the bolus by gagging, decreasing accidental movement of the food into the pharynx. Additionally, a child who has the trunk and head control to sit independently though a meal (proximal stability) will more likely demonstrate adequate distal coordination for strong oral motor control. There have been no clinical studies completed to support this connection between movement of the gag reflex and choking. It is still suggested to avoid classic “choking hazards”
airway shaped foods: whole grapes, coin-shaped slices of hotdogs, cherry tomatoes, etc.
Conversely, the natural diet of an infant up to age one is breast milk (or a synthetic equivalent such as formula). It is important for parents to not decrease the volume of milk feeds until around one year of age
until the baby is taking in enough solid foods to support weight-gain (AAP, 2013). Proponents of BLW would argue that breast-feeding mothers should change their own diet to improve the infant's nutrition before pushing for increase solid food intake.
A more recent study at the University of Nottingham by Ellen Townsend and Nicola J. Pitchford suggests that baby-led weaning may lead to less Childhood obesity. The authors conclude that the "results suggest that infants weaned through the baby-led approach learn to regulate their food intake in a manner, which leads to a Body mass index and a preference for healthy foods like carbohydrates.". Feeding specialist, Kary Rappaport, OTR/L, SWC, CLE also concludes that a BLW infant, who leads their own food exploration and is exposed to a consistent variety of tastes, textures, and smells at an early age is more likely to develop positive interest in food. This may decrease “picky” eating behaviors in toddlers and young children.
Researcher Joel Voss, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University states, "The bottom line is, if you're not the one who's controlling your learning, you're not going to learn as well". When an adult takes control of the activity, the inherent love of exploration and discovery is lost. BLW allows for natural, developmentally appropriate interaction and play with food, which has the potential to develop a lifelong curiosity with food.
As of June 2019, it was suggested that long-term studies need to be done on the effects of BLW on nutrition adequacy and safety in addition to previous evidence that it is useful in self-regulation of feeding with low risk of choking.
Case-Smith, J & Humphry, R. (2005). Feeding Intervention. In J.Case-Smith (Ed.), Occupational therapy for children (pp. 481-520). St Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Morris, S.E, & Dunn-Klein, M.(2000).Pre-feeding skills: A comprehensive resource for mealtime development (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: PRO-ED, Inc.
Rapley, G. & Murkett, T. (2005). Baby Led Weaning: the essential guide to introducing solid foods and helping your baby to grow up a happy and confident eater. New York, NY: The experiment, LLC.