Parents have been warned not to try out a TikTok trend that claims to help young babies sleep longer through the night. She says the hack could actually pose a risk of death to tiny children because of the choking hazard. 'Mumfluencers' in the US have been filming themselves giving their under-ones a spoon of butter shortly before bedtime to fill them up ready for a long night's undisturbed sleep.
Elana Roumell, who describes herself as a 'paediatric naturopathic doctor', claims she helped her 12-month-old son to sleep better by feeding him a spoonful of butter before bed. "It worked wonders for me and my son when he was 12 months old and waking every one to two hours to nurse," she told her followers in a TikTok video that has been viewed more than 200,000 times.
"Growing bodies need more calories, and if they don't get enough during the day, their blood sugar can drop overnight causing them to wake up hungry and cry. Offering a high-fat, calorie-rich food like butter or peanut butter, avocado, coconut milk - get creative! - it can help satisfy that hunger and give them that peaceful night's sleep to sleep all night.".
A series of users tested out the theory for themselves, with mixed results. One claimed it worked for her nine-month-old son, who usually woke once in the night but after the butter experiment slept "8.45pm to 7.45am". Another user filmed herself saying she gave her toddler "an entire stick of Kerry Gold butter" to see whether his sleep would improve, and jokingly claimed her "scientific experiment" resulted in failure as the butter did nothing except "gave him a good cleanse... and a terrible few days for me and his dad". She added: "Can't believe everything you see on TikTok, guys.".
But baby nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed, author of How To Wean Your Baby and How To Feed Your Toddler, said there was "absolutely no" evidence that foods high in fat and calories could help babies to sleep through the night, and slammed social media "misinformation" for spreading falsehoods to parents.
"Butter can be high in salt and saturated fat, which are not recommended in large amounts, especially for babies," she pointed out. "Additionally, the texture and slipperiness of butter can pose a choking risk for babies who are still developing their eating skills. Incorporating butter into cooking or spreading a thin layer on toast is perfectly fine. However, offering large chunks of butter directly from a spoon is not advisable.".
Unfortunately for sleep-deprived parents, there are no specific foods that can guarantee a good night - "otherwise we would all be using them and parental exhaustion wouldn't be such a common issue". "It's also important to remember that it is perfectly normal for babies to wake during the night," Charlotte added. "To support your baby's sleep, ensure they receive enough calories and nutrients throughout the day.".
And as for getting sucked in to social media trends, Charlotte warned up to 90 percent of parenting advice on TikTok is potentially misleading. "Social media platforms are rife with misinformation, making it challenging to heed the nuanced advice of real experts," she added.
Official NHS advice is not to introduce solid foods until babies reach six months old, and only then to be guided by your baby. They will still get most of their nutrients and calories from breast milk or formula until they turn one. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories.
