There has been a lot of talk lately over the recent death of a baby whose parents were practicing a vegan lifestyle. Many mistakenly believe that this baby died because of the vegan lifestyle, but this is not true. This baby died, quite simply, because his parents were stupid and ignorant. He was fed a combination of breast milk, soy milk, and apple juice. That is not healthy for a newborn especially. Vegan parents do not feed their babies this way; they know better. Babies can be very healthy on a vegan diet. This baby would have survived, had his mother had the common sense to feed him appropriately. She broke some of the cardinal rules of baby feeding, and that has nothing to do with veganism but with misinformation.
Breast milk does not come from animals but from humans. It is not an animal product. Most vegan mothers breastfeed their babies for at least the first six months. Some may breastfeed exclusively for nine months or even an entire year. Breast milk is enough to sustain a child for the first year of life. After that, a child needs solid foods as well. Many vegan mothers practice extended breastfeeding, nursing their children well into the toddler years and even beyond. Breast milk is the ideal food for a vegan baby. In fact, all breastfed babies are vegan, and this is even more true if the mother isn’t eating animal products either.
When the mother cannot breastfeed or needs to supplement, there is the option of soy formula. Soy formula is not an animal product either. Like regular formula, it is designed and fortified to meet the needs of an infant. Soy milk or milk in general should never be fed to an infant, vegan or not. There are not enough nutrients in regular milk of any kind to meet the needs of an infant. Many babies are allergic to regular formula and need soy formula. Babies that are fed only soy formula, or even that and breast milk, are vegan. They are just as healthy as babies who are fed formula made from cow milk.
Babies should not be fed anything other than breast milk or formula for the first six to nine months of life. For vegan babies, it’s breast milk and soy formula, and many vegan mothers wait until 9 months or a year to introduce other foods. After this point, it is perfectly safe to give a baby organic juice. They can also start eating pureed fruits and vegetables, but they do not need them. Many will actually refuse the meat baby food, as it tastes awful! Babies do not need to be fed anything other than breast milk or formula until their first birthday. They should not be fed anything other than that until they are six months old.
Once the baby has teeth and is doing good with the purees, she can start eating finger food and table food. They can eat anything anyone else can–except animal products. Meat and animal products are not necessary. All the nutrients a person needs can be derived from a well-planned vegan diet. This is true of babies as well. There are vegan substitutes for many dairy products, such as cheese. These may be made from soy or even rice, and they are just as healthy. As long as the mother is balancing the nutrients that her child eats, a toddler will thrive on a vegan diet. This is especially true if the mother continues to nurse.
These stories in the media about vegan babies dying or nearly starving to death are not related to veganism. These tragedies were caused by stupidity. Feeding your baby anything other than formula and breast milk in the first six months of life is extremely dangerous. Soy milk and apple juice are not enough to sustain a child, and this is certainly not the way to raise a vegan baby. One couple denied their child breast milk, which is the pinnacle of stupidity, and only allowed her nuts and fruits. Babies should not be eating nuts. Many people are allergic to nuts, and babies can choke on them. Fruits are fine–but after six months of age. Vegan babies do thrive when their parents are intelligent and informed.
Most vegan mothers do know to follow these rules. They know better than to deny a child breast milk. They don’t feed their newborns juice, and they don’t give soy milk until their baby’s first birthday. Vegan parents usually breastfeed exclusively before introducing solids when it is safe to do so. The vegan lifestyle is a smart choice that does not deprive a child of nutrients, so long as the basic rules of baby feeding–which apply to all babies–are followed. Being a vegan isn’t about breaking these rules; it’s about following them even more strictly. Babies do not need cow milk or meat products to survive or thrive. They do very well on breast milk and/or formula with some supplementation of solid foods and juice after six months. The vegan diet is very healthy for babies.
