Growth Trajectories in Infants From Families With Plant-Based or Omnivorous Dietary Patterns

What is the association between family dietary patterns (vegan, vegetarian, omnivorous) and infant growth trajectories, weight status, and stunting in early childhood?This cohort study in 1 198 818 infants revealed that infants from vegan households exhibited minimal differences in mean growth compared with their counterparts from omnivorous households. However, infants from vegan households had a modestly higher odds of underweight in early infancy, although these differences diminished by age 24 months.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.

Corresponding Author: Kerem Avital, MPH, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, David Ben Gurion Blvd 1, Be’er Sheva 8410501, Israel (kerema@post.bgu.ac.il).

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