Video-measured fullness cues in baby-led weaned and traditionally spoon-fed infants and subsequent intake

Abstract

Little evidence describes how infants signal when they are full or how caregivers respond when using different approaches to complementary feeding. The aims of this exploratory study were to describe types and frequency of infant fullness cues from video-recorded meals in those using Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) and traditional spoon-feeding approaches, and to investigate subsequent behaviour of caregivers and infants following the first sign of fullness. One meal was video-recorded in the home in 185 healthy infants aged 7-10 months participating in the First Foods New Zealand study. Videos were coded using an adapted version of the Responsiveness to Child Feeding Cues Scale for frequency of 16 different fullness cues from 1 min after the infant's first bite until the meal was terminated. At least one (range 1-105) fullness cue was observed in 95 % of infants, with looking away (72 %), playing with food (50 %), not opening mouth (48 %), and turning head (47 %) being most common. Fewer cues were observed in BLW (n = 59) compared with spoon-fed (n = 79) infants, with mean (SD) of 7 (6) and 22 (19) cues, respectively. After the first fullness cue, 95 % of infants continued to eat, 42 % were offered a new food, and 97 % of those infants took at least one bite, with few differences by feeding style. The smaller number of fullness cues observed with BLW suggests it is an approach that is more 'responsive' to fullness than traditional spoon-feeding. However, most infants continue to eat beyond the first sign of fullness, regardless of feeding style.

Keywords: Baby-led weaning; Fullness cues; Infant; Responsiveness.