Is a Vegan Diet Safe During Pregnancy?
The warnings are a bit more urgent for pregnant and lactating women who are vegan. Having a vitamin B12 deficiency, particularly, has been shown to impair neurological development in infants nursed by vegetarian mothers. A lack of vitamin D and calcium also can result in bone demineralization in breastfeeding women. Similarly, young children (under 5) reared on vegetarian and vegan diets can suffer impaired growth. That’s because of a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can also result in anemia and rickets. Yet a well planned diet can meet all the nutritional needs. Absorbable calcium is critical, too, for vegans and ovo-vegetarians to protect against weak bones that can lead to osteoporosis.
