Raising Children on a Vegan Diet: Parents’ Opinion on Problems in Everyday Life

Abstract

A growing number of Italian families are adopting a vegan diet (VD) for their offspring from infancy for various reasons, with health benefits and ethics being the most common reasons. Barriers to effective communication with primary care pediatricians (PCPs) are perceived by many parents and, depending on the actors involved and the environment, a VD may affect social interactions in everyday life. A national cross-sectional survey was conducted between July and September 2020. Parents of children following a VD completed an online questionnaire. Data from 176 Italian parents were collected. About 72% (71.8%) of the children included in this study had been on a VD since weaning. Parents did not inform their primary care pediatricians (PCP) about the VD in 36.2% of the cases. In 70.8% of the cases, PCPs were perceived as skeptical or against a VD. About 70% (71.2%) of the parents relied on medical dietitians, and 28.2% on nutritionists/dietitians for dietary counseling. Parents administered an individual B12 supplement in 87.2% of the cases. To the best of our knowledge, this survey is the first which explores the relationship between vegan parents and their PCPs, the parental management of their children’s diet and problems regarding the implementation of a VD in everyday life.

The weaning practices: A new challenge for pediatricians?

“…In the last few years, alternative weaning strategies have grown in popularity, such as baby‐led weaning and vegetarian or vegan weaning. Many pediatricians still have concerns about raising children on a vegan diet and may not feel confident in dealing with alternative feeding practices 7,10 10 .…”

“…Many pediatricians still have concerns about raising children on a vegan diet and may not feel confident in dealing with alternative feeding practices 7,10 10 . Although it is not possible to draw definitive conclusions, the new and classic weaning strategies require adequate medical counseling and parental education to avoid harmful consequences for the child's growth.…”

Placing a Well-Designed Vegan Diet for Slovenes

“…Over the last twenty years, many professional associations in the field of nutrition and pediatrics have published their position statements/guidelines on the suitability of a vegan diet during pregnancy, breastfeeding, infancy and childhood [151,152]. The majority of them stand on the position that a well-designed vegan diet is healthy and appropriate for these particularly sensitive periods [151]. However, all of them clearly emphasize that a vegan diet requires more careful planning and appropriate supplementation [151,152].…”

“…The majority of them stand on the position that a well-designed vegan diet is healthy and appropriate for these particularly sensitive periods [151]. However, all of them clearly emphasize that a vegan diet requires more careful planning and appropriate supplementation [151,152]. Furthermore, the position of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) is that a well-designed vegan diet can support children's normal growth and development but should be used under appropriate medical or dietetic supervision [153].…”

“…Similarly, a well-designed vegan diet is suitable for subsequent periods of life [23,151,159]. To express an objective position on the appropriateness of feeding children a vegan diet, and given the shortcomings of high-quality studies on this stage of the lifecycle, it is necessary to examine this topic from a broader perspective [161].…”