An online survey of knowledge of the weaning guidelines, advice from health visitors and other factors that influence weaning timing in UK mothers

Abstract

The UK weaning guidelines recommend the introduction of solid food at or around 6 months. The evidence suggests that knowledge of the guidelines is high, although only a small minority of parents wait until 6 months to wean. The aim of this study was to assess understanding of the UK weaning guidelines in a sample of UK parents and investigate the associations of this understanding with weaning timing, and in comparison to other influencing factors. This study conducted an online survey of UK parents. Eligible participants had weaned a child since the introduction of the current guidelines. Of 3607 participants, 86% accurately understood the guidelines. Eighty-seven per cent of health visitors were reported to have advised weaning at or around 6 months. Knowledge of the guidelines was associated with later weaning (independently of demographic factors) (P < 0.001) but did not ensure compliance: 80% of mothers who weaned before 24 weeks and 65% who weaned before 17 weeks were aware of the guidelines. Younger mothers (P < 0.001), those receiving benefits (P < 0.001), those educated only to 16 (P < 0.001) and minority ethnic groups (P < 0.001) had lower levels of awareness. Poor understanding of the guidelines was the most reliable predictor of early weaning (P = 0.021) together with young maternal age (P = 0.014). Following the baby-led weaning approach was the most reliable predictor of those weaning at 26 weeks, together with the Internet being the most influential source of advice. Understanding of the current weaning guidelines is high and is a key independent predictor of weaning age in this population.

Influence of weaning timing advice and associated weaning behaviours in a survey of black and minority ethnic groups in the UK

“…Our findings show that an accurate knowledge of the weaning guidelines, in each of these communities, is important in influencing later weaning. However, overall understanding of the guidelines was considerably lower in these BME groups, with only 56 % of respondents having an accurate knowledge and younger mothers particularly having a lower level of awareness than has been shown in our previous survey of a predominantly white population, in which 86 % of respondents had an accurate understanding (7) .…”

A Qualitative Study of Mothers Perceptions of Weaning and the Use of Commercial Infant Food in the United Kingdom

“…This contrast in when to commence complementary feeding has previously been reported to vary by country [28][29][30]. A recent online questionnaire study of 3607 mothers, suggested that those who weaned early were more focused on putative signs of readiness, whereas those weaning later were more focused on the infant reaching the recommended age.…”

How Feasible Is Baby-Led Weaning as an Approach to Infant Feeding? A Review of the Evidence

“…As Table 2 outlines, most existing studies have recruited participants who self-identify as following a BLW approach [16,17,18,19,20,21], with all of the ambiguity that this entails. Only the work of Brown and colleagues [16,17,18] uses a more distinct definition to discriminate between those following a Baby-Led approach and those using more conventional feeding, by asking parents to estimate the proportion of food that is provided as purées or spoon-fed.…”