Table 2. Knowledge and clinical practice of health professionals about the baby-led weaning method, according to their undergraduate course. Brazil, 2018/2019.
| (n=458) | Total n (%)* |
Professional category n (%)** | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | Speech therapy | Medicine | Nutrition | Dentistry | |||
| Knew the BLW method | |||||||
| Yes | 376 (82.1) | 30 (8.0) | 36 (9.6) | 38 (10.1) | 267 (71.0) | 5 (1.3) | |
| Total | 458 (100) | 48 (10.5) | 47 (10.3) | 58 (12.7) | 299 (65.3) | 6 (1.3) | |
| Main source of information about the BLW method † | |||||||
| The parents/caregivers of the babies themselves | 15 (4.0) | 1 (6.7) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (40.0) | 6 (40.0) | 2 (13.3) | |
| Any course, lecture, professional meeting or seminar/symposium/congress | 136 (36.2) | 6 (4.4) | 15 (11.0) | 6 (4.4) | 109 (80.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
| A webpage | 60 (16.0) | 10 (16.7) | 8 (13.3) | 9 (15.0) | 30 (50.0) | 3 (5.0) | |
| A professional colleague | 44 (11.7) | 3 (6.8) | 4 (9.1) | 3 (6.8) | 34 (77.3) | 0 (0.0) | |
| The scientific literature | 121 (32.2) | 10 (8.3) | 9 (7.4) | 14 (11.6) | 88 (72.7) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Total | 376 (100) | 30 (8.0) | 36 (9.6) | 38 (10.1) | 267 (71.0) | 5 (1.3) | |
| Knew the benefits of the BLW method† | |||||||
| Yes | 363 (96.5) | 29 (8.0) | 36 (9.9) | 37 (10.2) | 256 (70.5) | 5 (1.4) | |
| Total | 376 (100) | 30 (8.0) | 36 (9.6) | 38 (10.1) | 267 (71.0) | 5 (1.3) | |
| Used to recommend the BLW method † | |||||||
| Always | 77 (20.5) | 10 (13.0) | 6 (7.8) | 5 (6.5) | 54 (70.1) | 2 (2.6) | |
| Frequently | 141 (37.5) | 7 (5.0) | 19 (13.5) | 16 (11.3) | 96 (68.1) | 3 (2.1) | |
| Sometimes | 144 (38.3) | 12 (8.3) | 11 (7.6) | 15 (10.4) | 106 (73.6) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Never | 14 (3.7) | 1 (7.1) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (14.3) | 11 (78.6) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Total | 376 (100) | 30 (8.0) | 36 (9.6) | 38 (10.1) | 267 (71.0) | 5 (1.3) | |
| Main reason for never recommending of the BLW method‡ | |||||||
| Being afraid that babies could choke/asphyxiate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Being afraid that the BLW method would result in insufficient nutritional input (energy and/or micronutrients) for babies | 5 (35.7) | 0 | 0 | 1 (20.0) | 4 (80.0) | 0 | |
| Lack of scientific evidence | 3 (21.4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (100) | 0 | |
| Did not have satisfactory knowledge | 6 (42.9) | 1 (16.7) | 0 | 1 (16.7) | 4 (66.7) | 0 | |
| Total | 14 (100) | 1 (7.1) | --- | 2 (14.3) | 11 (78.6) | --- | |
| Has seen the BLW method in practice† | |||||||
| Yes | 296 (78.7) | 23 (7.8) | 32 (10.8) | 27 (9.1) | 209 (70.6) | 5 (1.7) | |
| Total | 30 (100) | 36 (8.0) | 38 (9.6) | 267 (10.1) | 5 (71.0) | 30 (1.3) | |
| Assisted a family who followed the BLW method† | |||||||
| Yes | 192 (51.1) | 9 (4.7) | 22 (11.5) | 22 (11.5) | 137 (71.4) | 2 (1.0) | |
| Total | 30 (100) | 36 (8.0) | 38 (9.6) | 267 (10.1) | 5 (71.0) | 30 (1.3) | |
BLW, baby-led weaning
*
valid percentages per column
**
valid percentages per line
†
considering health professionals who knew the BLW method (n=376)
‡
considering health professionals who never recommended the practice of the BLW method (n=14).