Table 3.
Feeding practices and health-related behaviours by feeding method used to introduce complementary foods
| All (n=199) | Parent-led feeding (n=140) | Self-identified BLW (n=42) | Adherent BLW (n=17) | p Value* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |||
| Baby eats family food (may be modified or eaten at a different time) | 0.018 | ||||
| Doesn't eat family foods | 8 | 2 (1.4) | 6 (14.3) | 0 | |
| Occasionally | 150 | 113 (80.7) | 28 (66.7) | 9 (52.9) | |
| Most of the time or all of the time | 41 | 25 (17.8) | 8 (19.0) | 8 (47.1) | |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Age baby started eating family food | <0.001 | ||||
| When started CF or within 1 month | 20 | 7 (5.0) | 4 (9.5) | 9 (52.9) | |
| 2–4 months after starting CF | 68 | 50 (35.7) | 13 (31.0) | 5 (31.3) | |
| Doesn't eat with family | 111 | 83 (59.3) | 25 (59.5) | 3 (18.8) | |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Baby shares their meal with the family (even if food is different) | 0.040 | ||||
| None of their meals | 43 | 34 (24.2) | 7 (16.7) | 2 (11.5) | |
| Some of their meals | 90 | 67 (47.8) | 19 (45.2) | 4 (23.5) | |
| Most of their meals | 48 | 28 (20.0) | 12 (28.6) | 8 (47.1) | |
| All of their meals | 16 | 9 (6.5) | 4 (9.5) | 3 (17.6) | |
| Missing | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| First food offered | 0.001 | ||||
| Baby rice cereal | 100 | 75 (53.6) | 24 (57.1) | 1 (5.9) | |
| Fruit | 70 | 48 (34.3) | 12 (28.6) | 10 (58.8) | |
| Vegetables | 29 | 17 (12.1) | 6 (14.3) | 6 (35.3) | |
| Meat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Amount of commercially prepared baby food | 0.002 | ||||
| All of it | 14 | 11 (7.9) | 3 (7.1) | 0 | |
| Most of it | 34 | 21 (15.0) | 11 (26.2) | 2 (11.8) | |
| Half of it | 47 | 38 (27.0) | 8 (19.0) | 1 (5.9) | |
| Hardly any of it | 78 | 58 (41.4) | 15 (35.7) | 5 (29.4) | |
| None of it | 26 | 12 (8.6) | 5 (11.9) | 9 (52.9) | |
| Missing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Reported a choking episode | 0.567 | ||||
| No | 130 | 95 (69.3) | 24 (60.0) | 11 (68.8) | |
| Yes | 63 | 42 (30.7) | 16 (40.0) | 5 (31.3) | |
| Missing | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Reported a gagging episode | 0.286 | ||||
| No | 51 | 39 (27.9) | 7 (16.6) | 5 (29.4) | |
| Yes | 143 | 99 (70.7) | 34 (81.0) | 10 (58.8) | |
| Missing | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
*p Value compares feeding methods, bold indicates significance.
BLW, baby-led weaning; CF, complementary foods.