Parents considering plant-based diets for their families often worry about whether infants will grow adequately without animal foods. A new study suggests those concerns may be more nuanced than often portrayed.
In a cohort study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers found that infants raised in vegan households showed overall growth patterns similar to those of infants from omnivorous households, with one important caveat: infants in vegan households had higher odds of being underweight early in life, a difference that diminished by 24 months of age.
The study examined growth trajectories rather than weight at a single point in time, allowing researchers to assess how infants’ growth unfolded during the first two years of life. The authors describe the findings as reassuring in the context of developed countries, while emphasizing the importance of diet quality and appropriate nutritional guidance.
Infants in vegan households were more likely to be classified as underweight in early infancy compared with those in omnivorous households. However, this difference narrowed as children aged, and by 24 months the growth patterns of the two groups were largely similar.
The researchers caution that growth outcomes depend on many factors beyond dietary pattern alone. Vegan diets can vary widely in quality and nutrient composition, particularly for infants who have higher needs for energy, protein and certain micronutrients during rapid growth.
The study does not suggest that all vegan diets are equivalent, nor does it imply that careful planning is unnecessary. Instead, the authors highlight the potential role of nutritional counseling during pregnancy and infancy in supporting healthy growth, regardless of dietary pattern.
Importantly, the findings do not indicate that plant-based diets inherently impair growth. Rather, they underscore that early infancy may be a sensitive period when close attention to feeding practices is especially important. As children transition to complementary foods and diets diversify, growth differences observed early on may lessen.
Because the study was observational, it cannot establish cause and effect. The researchers also note that further work is needed to better understand how diet quality, supplementation and professional guidance influence growth outcomes in plant-based households.
Taken together, the results suggest that infants can grow along healthy trajectories in both vegan and omnivorous households, but that early monitoring and nutrition support may be particularly important for families following fully plant-based diets.
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.