Children 'Harmed' by Vegan Diets

Putting children on strict vegan diets is "unethical" and risks harming their development -- that was the blunt argument made by US nutrition scientist Lindsay Allen of the Agricultural Research Service at a 2005 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in remarks that kept circulating for years afterward.

Allen's case rested on nutrients that are hard to get without animal foods. "There have been sufficient studies clearly showing that when women avoid all animal foods, their babies are born small, they grow very slowly and they are developmentally retarded, possibly permanently," she said. Her strongest evidence came from Kenya, where her team studied 544 schoolchildren raised mostly on starchy corn-and-bean staples. Over two years, children given a small daily meat supplement -- about two spoonfuls of mince -- grew more and scored better on problem-solving tests than children whose diets were unchanged; milk helped too, and both nearly eliminated the group's high rates of vitamin B12 deficiency. (The study was partially funded by the National Cattleman's Beef Association, a fact Allen disclosed and critics noted.)

"If you're talking about feeding young children, pregnant women and lactating women, I would go as far as to say it is unethical to withhold these foods during that period of life," Allen said. Professor Montague Demment of the University of California, Davis, echoed the broader point: fighting global malnutrition needed more animal-source food, not just supplement pills.

The Vegan Society in the UK dismissed the claims, arguing that plant-based diets were often healthier -- lower in saturated fat, free of contaminants like mercury found in some fish -- and noting that it recommends B12 supplements for vegans.

Where does the science stand now? The mainstream nutrition position has settled into a middle ground both sides can partly claim. Major dietetic associations hold that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets can be nutritionally adequate for all life stages -- but "well-planned" does heavy lifting, especially for children and pregnant women. Vitamin B12, which has no reliable plant source, must be supplemented; iron, zinc, iodine, omega-3s, and vitamin D need attention. Allen's warning was overstated as a blanket moral judgment, but her underlying nutritional point -- that B12 and a few other micronutrients are genuinely hard to get from plants alone -- remains valid.

General information only, not medical advice. Families considering a vegan diet for children or during pregnancy should work with a pediatrician or registered dietitian to plan supplementation.