Nine feeding faces every parent needs to know - and what they actually mean

Weaning can be a challenging time and there is an awful lot for mum, dad and baby to learn.

Parents have to work out what foods their little ones like and dislike, while trying to ensure they're getting enough to eat.

Some reactions make it very clear that children don't like the food you're feeding them - like screaming the house down or throwing it at the wall - but others aren't so obvious.

New research has found that 53 per cent of parents completely misread their babies' faces when weaning.

Infant nutritional specialist and co-founder of baby food brand Piccolo, Alice Fotheringham teamed up with leading baby psychologist Caspar Addyman to study different facial expressions to make life easier for new parents.

"Naturally most parents hate seeing their child distressed so there is a tendency to give up on a new food if your baby pulls what you might perceive to be an unhappy face. However, it can take up to 12 tries for a baby to get used to a new food, so understanding how to read little faces can be useful in helping you persevere - especially if you want to ensure you’re giving your little one plenty of varied foods and all the right nutrients."

Caspar added:  "Uncertainty around babies’ food faces tend to arise when parents assume their child is showing signs of dislike, but more often they’re simply curiosity about a new flavour."

Wrinkled nose

With adults a wrinkled nose means dislike. But with babies it's just a sign of mild rejection, so it's worth giving it a few more goes to see if they like it in future.

Squint

This is one of the most predictable signs of dislike.

But don't panic, as it can just mean they're figuring out a new taste.

Don't give up, and let them try it a few more times before writing it off.

Lowered brow

This means they are a bit puzzled by the new taste and they're still trying to work it out.

Sweet/savoury

Things that taste sweet and savoury always seem to get the most positive reactions from babies.

This is probably because breast milk has both of these flavours, so they're used to it.

Bitter

When your baby’s mouth falls open, it normally means they're eating something bitter.

Don't assume this means they don't like it. It might mean that, but it could also simply show they're getting used to it.

Sour

Imagine the face you pull when you eat something very sour, and that's pretty much the same face your baby will make.

The guide states: "Don't be discouraged if you see this expression, but don't force the food either".

Yes

Without words, it can be hard for babies to let us know they love whatever they've just tasted.

Often they will show you by lunging forward towards the food with their mouths open.

A pretty clear sign!

Maybe

The guide states: "Your little one is probably more curious than you realise and loves to discover new things.

"A look of mild surprise or uncertainly is them trying to figure a new food out."

No

They will often pull right back away from something they really don't want to eat.