Are you damaging your baby's gut whilst weaning?

Almost a staggering 80% of parents use processed pre-packaged baby foods during the weaning period, says a survey for WeaningWorld.com. This is a concern, as it could be damaging to long-term baby gut health.

With such a high percentage of parents using pre-packaged baby foods, Weaning World, The Gut Stuff, BioGaia and Lucy Upton have joined together to offer parents healthier recipe alternatives, advice and answers to the questions they might  have.

WeaningWorld.com undertook a survey asking 660 parents how often they use or used pre-packaged baby pouch food during weaning. 

80% of parents from the survey said they used processed pre-packaged baby foods during the first months of weaning. 

The first 1,000 days of a baby's life are really crucial for development, and pre-packaged baby food pouches may be doing more harm than good.

Pre-packaged baby foods have nutritional differences from home cooked foods that can impact the long-term gut development of babies. 

For example, a recent study learned two-thirds of commercially sold pre-packaged baby foods exceed the WHO’s guidelines for volumes of salt, sugar and calories. 

But 44.8% of parents in the survey believed pre-packaged baby food was either Natural or Unprocessed. There is a clear need for educating parents on what goes into pre-packaged baby foods and what they should look out for as parent consumers. From their survey, 68.8% of parents viewing an image of a baby pouch meal answered they believed it would be healthy.

“Nutritional choices in a baby’s early weeks and months of weaning and beyond play a truly pivotal role in shaping the gut microbiome development,” said Lucy Upton, a Specialist Paediatric Dietician.

Establishing a healthy gut microbiota during early development lays the foundation for lifelong well-being, making it absolutely vital to prioritise gut health interventions during this important,  formative time. 

Evidence points towards ultra-processed food-rich diets, particularly in early years, having a negative impact on long-term health. Poor gut health can be implicated in driving obesity, among other problems, making absolutely vital to get right during weaning. In their survey, 40.5% of parents answered they used pre-packaged baby foods in the first week of starting their babies on solid food. 

“BioGaia recognise how important microbiota development is to all ages, especially in the first three years. Our extensive research indicates a good microbiome is a vital component of long-term health and needs to be a priority for parents who are beginning weaning.” - Steven Hicks, UK Director, BioGaia 

With renowned Paediatric Dietitian Lucy Upton, The Gut Stuff’s and Channel 4’s own Mac Twins, and prominent probiotic supplier BioGaia on board, the job of Weaning Week 2024 is to debunk myths on pre-packaged processed weaning foods and showcase healthier alternatives and the science behind them can be implicated in driving high rates of overweight and obesity

This year’s National Weaning Week takes place from 13-17 May 2024, teaming up with BioGaia and The Gut Stuff to share top tips, advice and recipes with parents with weaning-age babies. This year, gut health is at the forefront of the conversation, with the theme “Wean Wise Gut Thrive” empowering parents to make great decisions with weaning babies, as well as provide information on healthier alternatives to pre-packaged processed foods.

BioGaia is the world’s only research-driven probiotics provider, with decades of experience and research in their products.