A new study published in JAMA Network Open is based on health data from nearly 1.2 million Israeli infants collected between 2014 and 2023.
The data cover approximately 70 percent of all children in the country.
Researchers measured weight, length, and head circumference during the first two years of life and compared children from vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous families.
In the past, some doctors and parents have expressed concern about whether children who do not consume meat and dairy products receive sufficient nutrition during a period of rapid growth.
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Small differences at the beginning
The study shows that the differences between the groups were generally small. The deviations were below the WHO threshold for what is considered clinically significant.
During the first 60 days, infants from vegan families were more likely to be underweight.
According to the researchers, the difference gradually disappeared and was not statistically significant by the time the children reached two years of age.
At age two, the proportion of children with stunted growth was low across all groups: 3.1 percent among omnivores, 3.4 percent among vegetarians, and 3.9 percent among vegans.
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Requires planning
The researchers emphasize that diets must be properly planned and that families should have access to nutritional guidance during pregnancy and in the infant’s early months.
Overall, the study suggests that a plant-based diet in itself does not impair infant growth during the first two years of life, provided the diet is properly composed.
Sources: SciTechDaily, and JAMA Network Open.
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