Tag Archives: baby-led weaning

Most academic theses written for a Master’s degree or PhD are pretty obscure and specialised. Occasionally though, someone chooses a topic that’s so interesting and accessible that it gets published in book form. A great example of this is Geisha by Liza Dalby – nothing to do with pregnancy or parenting, but a really good read! For her PhD in anthropology she spent a year in Japan training to be a geisha, and the resulting book is a fascinating insight into another world. A less good example is Baby-led Weaning by Gill Rapley and Tracey Murkett. This book has become very popular, with many dedicated  and passionate followers. It seems like a sensible approach to weaning but the book itself is disappointing for those hoping for evidence-based advice. The style is very repetitive with lots of anecdotes and some grand and unsubstantiated claims (e.g., “Anecdotal evidence suggests that children whose parents adopt BLW and involve them in their meals from the beginning are less likely to choose unhealthy foods when they are older and are therefore more likely to be better nourished, long term.” (page 39). Given that the book is based on Gill Rapley’s Master’s thesis it’s a real shame there aren’t more references to research. On the other hand, Baby Talk, by Sally Ward, is full of references. I was looking for advice on how to support my son’s language development and came across this book, which is based on the author’s research. It’s full of references to scientific studies, not just on language development but also cognitive development in general, such as how the ability to pay attention develops. The only downside is that it’s a bit out of date now. As far as I can tell, it was first published in 2000, and I’m sure we know more now than we did then. A revised second edition would be brilliant.