A vegan diet is nutritionally complete and suitable for infants.
the verdict
CONTESTED
contested - evenly split
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
4 sources for · 7 against
Medical literature and expert reviews present mixed findings regarding vegan diets for infants, with some sources highlighting risks of nutrient deficiencies and developmental concerns while others discuss general plant-based nutrition benefits and considerations.
It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that, in adults, appropriately planned vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns can be nutritionally adequate and can offer long-term health benefits such as improving several health outcomes associated with cardiometabolic diseases. Vegetarian dietary patterns exclude meat, poultry, and seafood, and vegan dietary patterns exclude all foods of animal origin. Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) and nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered (NDTRs) play a pivotal role in providing meal-planning strategies and evidence-based nutrition information to clients currently following vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns or who may benefit from and express interest in following vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns. RDNs and NDTRs can work with their clients to create tailored, lifestyle-oriented, nutritionally balanced, and culturally suitable vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns that optimize health benefits while reducing concerns about nutrient inadequacies. Adults follow vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns for various reasons. The aim of this position paper is to inform health care practitioners, including RDNs and NDTRs, about the evidence-based benefits and potential concerns of following vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns for different populations of nonpregnant, nonlactating adults. This position paper is supported by current evidence, including several systematic reviews. As leaders in evidence-based nutrition care, RDNs and NDTRs should aim to support the development and facilitation of vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns and access to nutrient-dense plant-based meals. Promoting a nutrient-balanced vegetarian dietary pattern on both individual and community scales may be an effective tool for preventing and managing many diet-related conditions. This position was approved in January 2025 and will remain in effect until December 31, 2032.
A 7-month-old male presented with lethargy and failure to thrive. The child was exclusively breast-fed from birth by a mother who was a strict vegetarian. Laboratory data revealed macrocytic anemia and methylmalonic acid in the urine, consistent with vitamin B
12
deficient anemia. The patient responded well to supplementation with B
12
alone and was developmentally normal by 11 months of age. This study emphasizes the need for assuring maternal dietary adequacy during pregnancy and after birth.
Veganism, a way of eating that forbids goods produced from animals, is rising in acceptance around the globe. This thorough analysis investigates how a vegan diet affects fetal growth during pregnancy, highlighting the need to maintain ideal maternal nutrition. The idea of “early life programming” emphasizes how a pregnant woman's lifestyle impacts her unborn child's health. Nutrient consumption during pregnancy makes it essential to have a healthy eating routine. While a carefully thought-out vegan diet may contain all the essential nutrients, some micronutrients need special attention, which may call for supplementation. The study delves into significant findings concerning nutritional adequacy and challenges in the discussion section, highlighting nutrients like calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and protein. It emphasizes medical professionals' need to monitor and assist vegan expectant mothers in meeting their nutritional needs. The analysis also examines the intricate connection between a mother's health and the outcomes of vegan pregnancies, such as decreased rates of gestational diabetes and hypertension. Examining fetal growth and development further highlights the complexity of this process, as do the contradicting data on birth weights. Furthermore, early data suggest that infants born to vegan moms may benefit cognitively, but further studies are required to prove a causal relationship. In addressing ethical and environmental issues in the review's conclusion, it is acknowledged that these aspects impact pregnant women's food decisions. Given the rising popularity of veganism, it is crucial to offer trustworthy advice to expectant women who are thinking about or already following a vegan diet.
Vegan diets are gaining popularity in the general population because of their perceived environmental and health benefits. However, concerns remain regarding potential nutrient deficiencies, particularly during critical growth periods. We aimed to compare growth, cardiovascular health, bone turnover, iodine, and overall micronutrient status among families adhering to vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous dietary habits. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 95 Czech families (47 vegan, 23 vegetarian, and 25 omnivore), comprising 187 adults and 142 children. Clinical examination, fasting blood, and 3-day prospective diet records were collected to compare growth, cardiovascular health, bone turnover, iodine, and overall micronutrient status among dietary groups and across ages. We used robust mixed-effect models, adjusted for confounders and accounting for family clustering, for group comparison and elastic net logistic regression. No significant differences in children’s growth characteristics between the dietary groups are found. Vegan children have the best cardiometabolic indices (low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol) observed as well as in adults. Comparable indices of bone turnover among groups are observed, although vitamin D levels are generally highest and urinary phosphate levels lowest in vegan groups. While vegan children show lower urinary iodine, it is not associated with differences in thyroid-stimulating hormone levels compared to other groups. Mixed-effects models demonstrate familial clustering of height, uric acid, high-density lipoprotein, parathormone, and vitamins B12 and D in children and selenium, zinc, iodine, vitamin B12, and folate in adults. Our results show that dietary habits significantly predict nutritional biomarkers, with familial influences contributing to interindividual variability. While vegans have better cardiometabolic profiles, low iodine status could be of concern. Heniková, Ouřadová et al. conduct a cross-sectional study among Czech families with long-term vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous families to compare clinical outcomes, nutritional status, and diet adequacy. They show that vegans have comparable growth characteristics and signs of better cardiometabolic health, while having lower iodine status. Vegan and vegetarian diets are increasingly popular, but concerns remain about whether they provide all essential nutrients for children’s growth and health. This study compared Czech families following vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous diets, where children had been on the respective diet since birth. We examined 95 families, including 142 children, through physical exams, dietary records, and blood and urine samples. Children across all diet groups had similar growth and bone health. Vegan families showed the most favorable cholesterol and cardiovascular health indices, but also had lower iodine levels. Family patterns influenced several vitamin and mineral levels. Overall, plant-based diets supported normal child growth and provided cardiometabolic benefits, although iodine intake may require attention.
Recently, more people have adopted plant-based diets for health, environmental and ethical reasons. These diets offer significant health benefits for adults, including reduced chronic disease risk. However, research on plant-based diets for children is limited and often focuses on the risks of poorly planned diets. The lack of comprehensive studies leads to inconsistent recommendations for vegan (VN) diets in children, underscoring the need for a synthesized knowledge base to guide future research and clinical practice. This review aimed to analyze existing literature on the impact of a VN diet on children's health and development, identify knowledge gaps, and outline clinical and research recommendations. A systematic search across databases with key words was conducted to identify relevant articles on VN diets in pediatrics. Screening of 128 articles yielded 27 studies that remained after removing duplicates and irrelevant studies. The studies were primarily from Europe, especially the United Kingdom and Italy, and used cross-sectional designs, limiting causal conclusions and long-term impact assessments. Small sample sizes and self-reported data introduced biases and affected accuracy. The review emphasized the need for careful planning and supplementing VN diets to prevent nutrient deficiencies in children. Further research is needed to optimize VN diets, improve public health guidance and support healthcare professionals. Vegan diets can support healthy growth in children but require careful planning to prevent deficiencies. Healthcare professionals should be equipped to support families choosing VN diets for their children.
During the complementary feeding period, any nutritional deficiencies may negatively impact infant growth and neurodevelopment. A healthy diet containing all essential nutrients is strongly recommended by the WHO during infancy. Because vegetarian diets are becoming increasingly popular in many industrialized countries, some parents ask the pediatrician for a vegetarian diet, partially or entirely free of animal-source foods, for their children from an early age. This systematic review aims to evaluate the evidence on how vegetarian complementary feeding impacts infant growth, neurodevelopment, risk of wasted and/or stunted growth, overweight and obesity. The SR was registered with PROSPERO 2021 (CRD 42021273592). A comprehensive search strategy was adopted to search and find all relevant studies. For ethical reasons, there are no interventional studies assessing the impact of non-supplemented vegetarian/vegan diets on the physical and neurocognitive development of children, but there are numerous studies that have analyzed the effects of dietary deficiencies on individual nutrients. Based on current evidence, vegetarian and vegan diets during the complementary feeding period have not been shown to be safe, and the current best evidence suggests that the risk of critical micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies and growth retardation is high: they may result in significantly different outcomes in neuropsychological development and growth when compared with a healthy omnivorous diet such as the Mediterranean Diet. There are also no data documenting the protective effect of vegetarian or vegan diets against communicable diseases in children aged 6 months to 2-3 years.
Health effects of vegan diets among children and adolescents are a controversial public health topic. Thus, the aim of the present systematic review is to evaluate a broad range of health outcomes among vegan children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years. 18 studies met the inclusion criteria (17 cross-sectional, 1 RCT). Meta-analyses showed lower protein, calcium, vitamin B2, saturated fatty acid, and cholesterol intakes, and lower ferritin, HDL and LDL levels as well as height in vegan compared to omnivorous children/adolescents. Higher intakes of carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, folate, vitamins C and E, magnesium, iron, and potassium were observed in vegans. Blood levels of vitamin B12 were higher among vegan children due to supplement use. Single study results suggested further differences between vegan and non-vegan children, such as lower bone mineral content or urinary iodine among vegan children. Risk of Bias was rated as high or very high in 7 out of 18 studies. The certainty of evidence for the meta-analyses was low (<i>n</i> = 2) or very low (<i>n</i> = 46). Overall, the available evidence points to both risks and benefits associated with a vegan diet among children, although more and better designed studies are needed.
People are increasingly encouraged to reduce animal food consumption and shift towards plant-based diets; however, the implications for children's health are unclear. In this narrative review of research in high-income settings, we summarize evidence on the increasing consumption of plant-based diets in children and update an earlier systematic review regarding their associations with children's health outcomes. The evidence indicates that vegan, but not vegetarian, diets can restrict growth relative to omnivorous children and increase the risk of being stunted and underweight, although the percentage affected is relatively small. Bone mineral content is reduced in vegetarian and, in particular, vegan children, compared to omnivores. Both vegetarian and vegan children who do not use vitamin B12 supplements manifest with B12 deficiency; however, supplementation rectifies this problem. Both vegetarians and vegans have lower concentrations of 25(OH)D if unsupplemented, and lower body iron stores, but usually have normal iron metabolism markers. Both groups are at risk of iodine deficiency, and this might affect thyroid health. Children consuming a vegan diet have a more favorable lipid profile than omnivorous children; however, the results for a vegetarian diet are inconsistent and vary by outcome. Based on the same scientific evidence, national and international dietary recommendations are heterogeneous, with some countries supporting plant-based diets among infants, children, and adolescents, and others discouraging them. We offer a research roadmap, highlighting what is needed to provide adequate evidence to harmonize dietary recommendations for plant-based diets in children. A number of measures should urgently be introduced at international and national levels to improve the safety of their use in children.
The transition toward plant-based (PB) diets has gained attention as a plausible step toward achieving sustainable and healthy dietary goals. However, the complete elimination of all animal-sourced foods from the diet (ie, a vegan diet) may have nutritional ramifications that warrant close examination. Two such concerns are the adequacy and bioavailability of amino acids (AAs) from plant-sourced foods and the consequences for older vegan populations who have elevated AA requirements. This narrative review describes the challenges of achieving high protein quality from vegan diets. Data were synthesized from peer-reviewed research articles and reviews. Plant-sourced proteins provide poorer distribution of indispensable AAs (IAAs) and have poorer digestibility, partly due to their inherent structural components within the food matrix. The review addresses complexities of combinations of varied plant protein sources and why the inclusion of novel PB alternatives adds uncertainty to the achievement of adequate protein adequacy. Meal distribution patterns of protein and the ensuing physiological impacts deserve further research and are outlined in this review. Particular attention is given to describing the challenges of achieving sufficient protein and IAA intakes by aging populations who choose to follow a vegan diet. This review contributes to the emerging discussions of nutritional risks associated with vegan diets and adds perspective to the current dietary shifts toward PB diets.
In parallel with increased public awareness of the health and environmental benefits of consuming a plant-based diet, the numbers of people who identify as vegan has increased sharply. The question of whether vegetarian and vegan diets are appropriate for children is a longstanding and unresolved controversy. The more restrictive the diet and the younger the child, the greater the risk of nutritional deficiency. Nutrients of potential concern are protein quantity and quality, iron, zinc, selenium, calcium, riboflavin, vitamins A, D, B 12 and essential fatty acids. Although intakes and status of some nutrients (e.g. vitamin D and iron) are low in many children, vegan children are particularly susceptible due to inadequate supply and/or excess dietary fibre as well as other components that limit bioavailability. Although position papers from North America state that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets, supplemented appropriately, are suitable for all life stages, European statements include strong recommendations to parents that vegan diets should not be adopted by children without medical and dietetic supervision. Case histories of malnutrition and serious harm persist, including irreversible neurological damage due to vitamin B 12 deficiency among un-supplemented children. The evidence available to evaluate the nutritional appropriateness of vegetarian diets for children is inadequate and dated. Although nutritionally adequate vegetarian diets are more easily achieved, su
life. However, infants of vegan mothers may be born with low stores. Vegan diets appear to supply insufficient … mg/day for infants and 40-50 mg/day for preschool children. UK guidelines ape 25 mg/day for infants and … Neocate Infant formula, for infants aged <1 year, and Neocate 1+ for infants over one year. Neocate Advance
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