Vegetarian and vegan upbringing not tied to higher stunting risk by age 2

Babies’ growth isn’t more likely to be stunted if they’re raised on a vegetarian diet, a new study says. Tracking nearly 1.2 million infants, researchers found that by age 2 those raised in vegan and vegetarian households follow growth trajectories nearly identical to their omnivorous peers, according to findings published recently in JAMA Network Open.

For the study, researchers analyzed records from 2014 to 2023 kept by the Israeli Ministry of Health, which tracks the development of about 70% of children in the country. Using the data, researchers compared babies raised in vegetarian (1.2% of all infants) or vegan (0.3%) homes to those raised in omnivorous homes (98.5%).

Results showed that babies had similar growth patterns regardless of diet. Also by age 2, stunting rates remained low across all dietary patterns – 3.1% for omnivores, 3.4% for vegetarians and 3.9% for vegans, with no significant differences in risk between groups.

Infants in vegan households had 37% higher odds of being underweight in the first 60 days of life, but this difference diminished over time and was no longer significant by age 2, researchers said.

Researchers said concerns persist about nutritional adequacy in pregnancy and early childhood, particularly with regard to vitamin B12, iron, iodine, vitamin D, calcium and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. The study concluded: “These findings suggest that family vegan dietary patterns may support appropriate infant growth, but further work is needed to clarify how vegan diet quality and nutritional counseling during pregnancy and infancy support optimal infant development.”