How vegan diet can put babies in peril

By ANNE BESTON

Many more children could be at risk from the diet deficiencies that led to Caleb Moorhead's death, says an Auckland paediatrician.

Dr Patrick Kelly of Starship children's hospital said about 40 cases of B12 deficiency in babies had been described in medical literature but he believed there were likely to be many more.

"This was an avoidable tragedy but there are many left unreported," he said.

The only source of B12 available to humans is in bacteria found in dead animal tissue, such as meat.

Humans store B12 in the liver but once someone is on a B12-deficient diet, the store begins to run out.

Often people who switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet as adults have enough of the vitamin to last years, as many as 20.

But a baby has only what it gets from its mother in the womb and a tiny amount from breastmilk. At 6 months of age, the baby's store needs replenishing. If that does not happen from eating meat, the infant could be in serious trouble.

"Veganism is a growing lifestyle and it's vital that vegan mothers realise the risks of B12 deficiency," said Dr Kelly.

It was not always obvious that long-term damage to a child, such as lower intelligence, was because of a lack of B12.

"The presentation of B12 deficiency can be quite subtle," he said.

MaryRose Spence, a registered nutritionist in private practice in Auckland, said some vegans used injections to boost B12 levels. The only source of the vitamin in a non-animal protein diet was mushrooms.

There are eight amino acids the human body does not produce but which it needs to stay healthy. Animal proteins contain all eight, and in the right proportions, but vegetable proteins contain only five to six and not always in the right quantities.

"I mean, you really have to know what you are doing," she said. "To eat a proper vegan or even vegetarian diet is quite time-consuming.

"I certainly see a lot of vegans or even vegetarians who are not eating enough protein, so they look to eat carbohydrates all day."

A quick scan of the internet shows there is a wealth of information on vegetarian and vegan diets and societies. A US-based group called Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine says children of vegetarians and vegans should have a reliable source of vitamin B12 in their diet.

Good sources include B12-fortified foods such as soy milk, breakfast cereals, meat analogues (a "meat" made up of usually high-protein non-animal foods such as nuts) and vitamin B12 supplements.

An Australian website called Vegan Voice gives special advice to vegan parents of children and teenagers, suggesting they be given a multivitamin tablet daily and making sure it contains B12.

Auckland vegan Suzanne Carey, 28, has been on the diet for eight years for ethical reasons, although she's aware of people who are vegans for religious, environmental and health reasons.

"I'm on it for animal rights reasons. A huge amount of people are vegans for the ethical side of it."

nzherald.co.nz/health