We recently updated our information on vegan children with a 2019 study from Germany that found no significant difference in weight-for-age, height-for-age, or weight-for-height scores between vegan, vegetarian, and nonvegetarian children.
Five vegan children and three vegetarian children were classified as stunted based on their height-for-age. Stunting could be explained by factors such as low parental height, low caloric intake, or being exclusively breastfed for too long. None of these factors is unique to a vegan or vegetarian diet.
Overall, this study indicates that a vegan diet supports normal growth in childhood.
