With all the conflicting advice on when to wean a child, a Raisingkids' reader asks Nutrition expert Emer Delaney about one particular method.

Raisingkids member's problem
Have you heard of Baby Led Weaning? Is it viewed as the best way to wean or is the 'traditional' puree route healthier or better?

Nutrition Expert Emer's Advice
Baby-led weaning (BLW) is a way of gradually weaning your baby onto solid foods without using baby purées and weaning spoons and letting your baby feed themselves. It works on the principle that after six months of age the majority of infants are capable of learning to feed themselves. It allows a baby to control his or her solid food intake by self-feeding from the very beginning of the weaning process.

In 2003 the Government changed its advice in line with that of the World Health Organisation about the recommended age for babies to start solids. It now advises parents to introduce solids into their baby's diet at six months old. At this age, most babies have strong necks and can sit up if they are supported. Their hand-eye coordination has developed to the extent that they can reach out and start to grasp food and grip it in their palms.

Although the Department of Health advises parents to start the weaning process at six months with mashed foods, it also recommends including finger foods in your baby's diet as soon as your baby is ready to do so.

While either method can be used, BLW has its advantages. Your baby can eat the same foods that you do making cooking and mealtimes much easier and you won't need to use baby rice, jars of puree, blenders and ice cube trays! It can also mean that your baby can sit at the table with you during mealtimes which not only makes the family dinnertime more enjoyable (if a little more messy) but also makes eating out a lot easier as baby can simply share your food. Presenting foods separately rather than in a puree also makes it easier to identify which foods baby is not so keen on.

Many parents unconsciously choose baby-led weaning, particularly with second or subsequent children. Babies love to copy their older siblings and try to grab food from their plates and are often much happier if they are allowed to feed themselves. However, there are no studies to say that one form of feeding is better then the other and parents will opt to choose whichever method they are most comfortable with.

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