The UK government has launched a new campaign to support parents in safely introducing their babies to solid foods. The campaign, called ‘Better Health Start for Life Introducing Solid Foods’, aims to promote NHS advice on weaning and provide practical guidance to parents on when and how to introduce solid foods to their babies.
According to the campaign, weaning is a crucial milestone within the first 1,001 critical days of a child’s life, which teaches babies to move food around their mouth, chew and swallow, and influences their eating habits and health later in life. The campaign highlights three clear signs that indicate when a baby is ready for solid food, including staying in a sitting position and holding their head steady.
The campaign was launched after a recent survey conducted by Censuswide found that many parents in England were confused about how much to feed their baby and when to start weaning. Many parents reported receiving conflicting advice on these issues, with nearly half of the parents being influenced by behaviors that can be mistaken as signs that their baby is ready for solid foods.
To support parents on their weaning journey, an online weaning hub is available, which is packed with NHS-endorsed advice, videos, and tips, as well as simple healthy recipes. The hub aims to put everything parents need to know in one place and provide essential information on topics such as allergies, food hygiene, and avoiding choking.
The campaign supports NHS guidance that recommends gradually introducing solid foods from around six months, alongside breast milk or infant formula. This is because breast milk or formula provides everything that babies need for healthy development for the first six months. The campaign aims to help parents develop their children’s healthy eating habits at the earliest stage and reduce the number of children who are overweight or obese.
In addition to the campaign, the government has pledged over £300 million to create Family Hubs in 75 local authorities to enhance services and ensure that all parents and carers can reach out to the help they need when they need it.
Source: Gov[Dot]UK
