Evidence-Based Nutrient Recommendations
Evidence-Based Nutrient Recommendations

Large Study on Vegan Infant Growth: The Kids are Alright

Published

by Jack Norris, RD

a young toddler eating a meal from a divided silicone plate (fruit, veggies, soy beans)

I made a quick update to the Infants section of Pregnancy, Infants, and Children:

A study of over 1.2 million infants, including 3,338 vegans, found normal growth among the vegan infants (Avital, 2026, Israel). Vegan babies were on average about 100 grams (3.5 oz) lighter at birth (3.2 kg / 7 lb 1 oz vs. 3.3 kg / 7 lb 4 oz) and more likely to be born small for their gestational age (11% vs. 6.6% of omnivore babies). By age two, vegans had caught up and differences in weight, length, and head circumference were clinically insignificant.

Reference

Avital K, Fliss-Isakov N, Shahar DR, Blaychfeld-Magnazi M, Ben-Avraham S, Tepper S, Hamiel U. Growth Trajectories in Infants From Families With Plant-Based or Omnivorous Dietary Patterns. JAMA Netw Open. 2026 Feb 2;9(2):e2557798.

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