Is baby led weaning a fad? For many years , food has been puréed and served to babies and they grow up eating well and healthy. So if baby led weaning helpful or just a fad? Especially in the Asian Chinese culture.

I think as with any methods, there are pros and cons to it. Baby-led weaning is easy to prepare (usually only involved cutting and steaming fruits or vegetables) but is definitely very messy and many parents worry about the risk of choking. The “traditional” or rather, more common method may offer greater control for the parent but seemed to not have the “fun” element for the baby to explore and decide for himself/herself what to put into his/her mouth. Regardless whether or not it is a fad, there is no physical harm to the baby so I personally feel that it simply offers another option for parents to consider. To ma, it is dependent on which method the parent is comfortable with. All are great options to help introduce solids to a baby. Hence, as long as the parent is happy with the chosen method, it will make the process fun for both. In addition, there is no restriction on simply just sticking to one method. I have a friend who did a mixture of both baby-led weaning and also spoon feeding. Her family eats out rather frequently and she wanted to be able to feed her baby while outside to minimize the mess. Her baby had no issue having a mix of both methods.

I don't think it's a fad. I think it's because we might be so used to seeing and practising a certain method, the other seem foreign. To mothers who come from cultures where the means to make or buy purees are not the norm, this might seem odd to them. My siblings and I grew up with a mixture of purees and finger foods, which I will emulate if it is suitable for my children. There is no right and wrong method -- just what is convenient, comfortable and most of all, safe for the young ones.

As baby does not come with a manual, i think mothers can experiment around and use either baby led weaning or puree style to her child. It is not about fad, it's about what work best for both mom and baby.