Vegan Babies?!?

Question

OK I know people already get upset when people just wanna raise there kids to be vegetarians which as someone trying to become vegetarian I see it as no harm whatsoever....but....... vegan babies ......... is that even possible?Tell me if you have heard or seen or even have your own vegan kids........is there any health issues can potentially deal with I know vegans have no B12 intake but what other health problems?.........

Answer 1

Babies can be fine on a balanced vegan diet, as long as their nutritional needs are met, they'll be fine.

[edit] @VeganIndieGirl- so you think that baby humans need the milk of another species? If they need it, why are there happy & healthy vegan kids in the world?

Answer 2

Real Vegan Children

http://veganhealth.org/articles/realvega...

(Photos and stories of kids who have been vegan their whole lives.)

The American Dietetic Association is one of the nation's leading nutrition experts. It says "Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence." http://eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs....

I've met vegan kids who were really healthy and happy. It's definitely possible. There are vegan sources of calcium, vitamin D, iron, and protein. Vegans can get a reliable source of vitamin B12 through fortified foods or a supplement.

To address another answerer, vegans are NOT against human breast milk... no cruelty is involved. And there are plenty of lactose intolerant kids who do just fine without dairy. It's not necessary to drink cow's milk.

Answer 3

I don't think that diet is suitable for babies...most doctors would agree...

I'd certainly value someone's expertise who has had 8+ yrs of medical schooling over a bunch of yahoos...that's for certain.

Answer 4

The American Dietetic Association's position is that well-planned vegan diets are appropriate for ALL life stages, pregnancy, lactation and infancy included.  All breastfed babies are vegan until solid foods are introduced (and meat is never the first solid food, now is it?)

I do in fact know (personally) two vegan children and both of them are healthy, intelligent, fabulous kids whose parents are well-versed in getting them the nutrition they need.  Beats those parents who take their kids to McDonald's twice a week by a long shot.

Edit to carpediem: doctors may have years of education, but most have mere hours (like two or three) of nutritional education.  They are simply not a reliable source of nutritional advice as they are taught to diagnose disease and treat it with drugs or surgical intervention.  Prevention and nutrition are not priorities for most med schools.

Edit to address your additional comments: I have to ask what it is in dairy that you are so sure a growing child needs?  The calcium? The protein?  People need calcium.  And they need protein.  But it doesn't matter *where* they come from.  Vegan parents simply make sure their little ones are getting all the protein and calcium they need from other sources.  Statistcs do say that very young vegan children are shorter than their peers, but that height difference is made up by adolescence and people raised vegan have the same average adult height as non-vegans.  There's a vegan community in TN called The Farm.  They've been around for decades and all their babies are conceived, gestated, nursed and raised vegan.  They've allowed researchers to follow the progress of their children and have contributed an enormous amount of evidence in favor of raising healthy vegan kids.

Answer 5

I think if you do it, you should breastfeed the child a little longer than usual or as long as possible actually, to make sure they get all the necessary minerals and vitamins for their immune system.

Answer 6

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may...

Babies have died because their parents have chosen to bring them up vegan. As a baby you need a mothers breast milk. You need calcium and nutrients. Its understandable if you want them to be vegetarian but even though I'm a vegan I would never bring my child up on no milk. They need it.

Answer 7

Um, just to clarify, veganism doesn't exclude human breast milk.

Typically, human infants drink exclusively breastmilk for the first 6 omnths of their lives before the introduction of fruits, grains, and vegetables as an ADJUVENT to breast-milk.  Exclusively breast-milk fed babies ARE VEGAN.  Babies who breast feed and eat fruits, vegetables and cereals ARE VEGAN.  What's so impossible about that?

Answer 8

Vegan babies are normally breastfed and then when they can eat solids, they eat a variety of healthy foods.  Vegans have no B12?   Where are you getting that information?  There are many vegan items fortified with B12.  I have a vegan soy milk in my fridge that supplies 50% of the RDA of B12 and that's for 1 cup.

Vegan infants get B12 from breast milk providing  the mother is getting B12.

Answer 9

A vegan Mom can breast feed their baby for quite a long time and there is soy milk...

In some countries they barely eat any animal products and their babies are fine.

If I was to get pregnant again I wouldn't start eating animal products again.  I also wouldn't buy ham baby food to feed to a baby.  Babies mostly drink their formula, eat oatmeal, fruits, and vegetable baby food for the first year.

If a family chooses to raise their baby vegan, it's their decision.  They just need to make sure the baby gets all the nutrition it needs.

Vegans have no B12?  I get more B12 than I actually need in a day.  My soy milk and my cereal has B12.  Please don't make statements you can't back up.

Answer 10

Yes its healthy for babies to be vegan (breast milk is vegan).

Answer 11

My bf and I are both vegan, and we've recently discussed this issue. Although it could be done with very very strict regiments when it comes to food, I think that veganism is a big step and someone should choose to become one. However, I think that raising a child as a vegetarian is just fine, and very healthy.

Raising a child as a vegan would require a lot. And kids are fickle eaters, so it would be even increasingly difficult.