Vegan diets could be damaging to small children’s health, nutritionists have warned. (Picture: Getty)

Vegan diets could be damaging to small children’s health, nutritionists have warned.

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Infants who follow the diet, which excludes meat, fish, dairy and honey, are often leaner and smaller than those who eat meat, it has been claimed.

And in some cases, Professor Mary Fewtrell adds, a poorly-managed vegan diet could lead to death for young children.

The vegan lifestyle – which seeks to exclude all animal-based products – has become increasingly popular in the UK.


Over the past 10 years, the number of people identifying themselves as vegan has rapidly risen by 360% to 542,000.

Vegan organisations have responded that raising children vegan isn’t about diet, but about ‘teaching them compassion’.(Picture: Getty)

Vegan organisations have responded that raising children vegan isn’t about diet, but about ‘teaching them compassion’.

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Fewtrell, a professor of Childhood Nutrition at UCL, warned that although vegan diets are perfectly healthy, they can cause serious health problems in babies and toddlers if their parents don’t make sure they’re getting all the necessary vitamins.



Professor Fewtrell, who is also chairman of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) committee, said: ‘It is difficult to ensure a healthy and balanced vegan diet in young infants, and parents should understand the serious consequences of failing to follow advice regarding supplementation of the diet.

‘The risks of getting it wrong can include irreversible cognitive damage and, in the extreme, death.’

How to safely raise your child vegan When cooking for your children, use unsweetened fortified soya milk. This contains as much calcium as cows’ milk and a similar amount of protein.

To ensure they’re getting enough protein, provide them with beans, chickpeas, lentils, soya mince, fortified soya yoghurt and tofu.

The Department of Health also recommends daily vitamin A, C and D supplementation for all children aged six months to five years

If children don’t get vital nutrients such as vitamin B12, calcium, zinc and high-quality protein while growing up, it could lead to ‘irreversible damage’ to their nervous systems or malnutrition, she also warned.

‘Our advice is that if parents pursue a vegan diet for their child, they must seek and strictly follow medical and dietary advice to make sure their infant receives adequate nutrition,’ she continued.

‘Both mother and infant should follow advice regarding supplementation.’

Professor Fewtrell issued the warning ahead of the meeting at the ESPGHAN annual meeting in Prague on Thursday.

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Little protein can lead to stunted growth, while too much fibre can cause children to feel full too quickly, the nutritionists also warn (Picture: Getty)

As well as the warning about plant-based diets, she also said that too little protein can lead to stunted growth, while too much fibre can cause children to feel full too quickly, stopping them getting enough other nutrients.

Professor Myriam Van Winckel, who was also due to speak at the conference, added: ‘The more restricted the diet of the child, the greater the risk of deficiency and this is by far highest in vegan children.

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‘Vegan mothers who breastfeed also need to be aware that their children can develop vitamin B12 deficiency between two and 12 months because of the lack of reserves in their body at birth, even if the mother is not showing any signs of deficiency herself.’

The nutritionists explained how varied vegetarian diets that allow milk or eggs are ‘generally safe’ – as they have lower levels of fat, more antioxidants and have a lower risk of being overweight.

In response to the warnings, Dominika Piasecka, from the Vegan Society, told Metro.co.uk: ‘We’ve approached ESPGHAN with a suggestion to produce materials for vegan parents to inform them about providing adequate nutrition for their children, and we are hoping to work with them on getting the correct information out there.

Tofu is a good alternative to meat (Picture: Getty)

‘Raising children as vegan is not just about the nutritional benefits, but also about teaching them about compassion and treating other living beings with respect and equality.

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‘It’s important for children to understand where food comes from, how animals are treated, the impact that has on our health and the environment.



‘This allows children to make informed choices based on facts and compassion rather than habit and what is perceived as the ‘norm’. Those choices are then more likely to be better for their health, for animals, and for the environment.’

Helen, a dietician at The Vegan Society, added: ‘ People worry that vegan diets contain too little protein and calcium, but it’s actually easy to obtain enough if you choose the right plant foods.

‘During the introduction of a vegan infant’s first foods, the use of unsweetened fortified soya milk in cooking is recommended. It contains as much calcium as cows’ milk and a similar amount of protein.

‘Beans, chickpeas, lentils, soya mince, fortified soya yoghurt and tofu are just a few examples of other good sources of protein, and these foods provide zinc too.

‘Introducing children to a wide variety of plant foods helps them to establish healthy habits for life. Eating a balanced vegan diet helps people to limit saturated fat and get plenty of fibre, and research has linked this way of eating with lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.’