Two parents are on trial in France today for allowing their malnourished 11-month-old infant to die. Sadly, when parents are poorly informed about infant nutrition and distrustful of medical advice, their children are at risk regardless of the family’s dietary choices. In this case, they happened to be vegan.
Pediatric nutrition experts recommend that all babies begin consuming solid foods in addition to breast milk by the age of 6 months. The infant who died was fed only breast milk and, based on her weight, her diet was too low in calories. It appears that her mother was also not consuming adequate vitamin B12. (The couple's other child was well-nourished and in good health.)
The issue here was not one of dietary choices, but rather a lack of understanding about nutrition for infants. Parents raise healthy and vibrant children who are vegan from conception, and the American Dietetic Association proclaims vegan diets to be appropriate for all stages of the lifecycle including infancy.
Recommendations for feeding infants in any family—vegan or not—are simple and straightforward.
- Infants need only breast milk (or infant formula) for the first four to six months.
- Vitamin D supplements are recommended for both vegan and omnivore breastfed babies.
- First solid foods—introduced between four and six months—are usually diluted cereals, and pureed fruits and vegetables.
- Some infants--again both omnivores and vegans--may require supplemental iron beginning at four months.
- Babies generally begin to have some higher protein foods at around seven months. In vegan homes, these foods can be mashed tofu and pureed legumes.
The only additional consideration for vegan babies is vitamin B12. Women who are breastfeeding need a regular daily source of vitamin B12 to ensure adequate levels in their milk. When parents follow these simple guidelines and monitor their child’s appetite and growth, babies thrive on vegetarian and vegan diets.
It’s a tragedy when a baby dies because her parents were misinformed about appropriate nutrition. But as long as parents know the basics of infant feeding practices, vegan diets are a safe and healthy option for babies.
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