WEANING Asian babies on to family foods was the subject of an advice day for local health staff.

The event at Audley community centre, organised by Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust and CommuniCare NHS Trust, was to help health workers give advice to families and carers.

It included presentations about diets, updated infant feeding guidelines and the work of local weaning groups run by PCT staff.

Health visitors Julia Hogan and Cathy Watson showed visitors their findings from a project looking into iron deficiency, with the Pringle Street GP practice in Blackburn, which found weaning babies of four to six months on to a varied iron rich diet helped prevent anaemia.

The event also promoted an advice leaflet, Weaning Your Baby on to Family Foods, which is used by health visitors.