Hyderabad: Extreme practise of vegan diets for newborn children can lead to severe medical complications, as was seen in the case of 12-day-old baby of Sarah Anne Markham in Florida. The child was severely dehydrated as Markham’s vegan beliefs put the child on soy formula milk not providing enough nutrients to the newborn. The paediatrician rescued the child and got the baby admitted to a hospital. Similarly, a six-week-old baby boy died of starvation as the parents wanted him to adhere to the vegan lifestyle in Atlanta.
Such chilling cases throw light on the issue of strict dietary practices.
Indians who are largely vegetarian by choice rely on plant foods, but they have dairy products as well. However, the growing influence of the West has converted many into strict vegans. Consuming a plant extract is acceptable, but losing out on proteins and creating deficiencies in the body can be problematic.
What is a vegan diet?
Vegans eat foods that are extracted only from plants. The vegan diet excludes all dairy products (milk, cheese, butter), eggs, seafood, honey, beeswax, casein, gelatin and yellow grease. The term vegan was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson and he co-founded The Vegan Society in England. The idea was that man should live without exploiting animals. Vegans eat whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes as they do not contain cholesterol and are low in fat, especially saturated fats. They are also high in fibre and other nutrients. Several plant-based foods are good sources of protein, such as beans, peanuts, and soya.
‘Breastfeeding mothers Are low on protein’
Samples of breast milk of vegan mothers have shown low levels of carbohydrate, protein and fat. A breast-feeding woman needs 200 calories more per day than she would have required during pregnancy. If her food is not nutritious, the baby will miss out on vital nutrients.
Dr Rooma Sinha, consultant gynaecologist and robotic surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, explains, “Babies of mothers who are strict vegans have been evaluated and research has found evidence of protein-calorie malnutrition, Vitamin B12 and iron deficiency. The child may suffer from anaemia, rickets, zinc deficiency, multiple recurrent infections and retarded growth.”
Dr Sinha said, “We ask vegan mothers to follow a diet plan which will help to cover these deficiencies. Dried beans and pulses help derive proteins, iron can be obtained from pulses, fruits such as apricots, dark green vegetables, whole meal breads. Vit B12 can be obtained from fortified soya drinks and yeast extracts. Breastfeeding mothers are put on Vit D supplements.”
Can newborns be subjected to A vegan diet?
A vegan mother must ensure that fortified supplements and soy-based infant formula milk and other nutritional supplements are provided so that the child’s growth is not affected.
Dr Sivanarayana Reddy, senior paediatrician at Rainbow Hospitals, says, “Soy milk is a complete milk protein as it contains all the essential amino acids for humans and is a reliable protein intake. But soy milk alone cannot be the replacement for breast milk. Newborns, who are not breastfed, need commercial infant soy-based formula milk. Apart from that, there is requirement of essential fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium and Vitamin D.
Supplementation is required for Vitamin B12 as neither plants, nor animals make B12. It is produced by microbes such as bacteria, fungi and algae.” Due to deficiency of iron in the diet, rickets is common in children who follow a vegan diet or a vegetarian, as their iron stores are low. Dr Reddy adds, “Vegan diet is becoming popular as research shows that it can minimise or completely eliminate a person’s genetic propensity for developing chronic diseases such as diabetes type 2, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. But it must be well-planned so that the deficiencies that exist in the diet can be covered.”
