Multiple nutritional deficiencies in infants from a strict vegetarian community
E. Zmora, R. Gorodischer and J. Bar-Ziv
Severe nutritional deficiencies developed in four infants from a new vegan
religious community. They had received breast milk until the age of 3
months; thereafter, breast milk was supplemented with or replaced by
extremely low caloric-density preparations. All of the infants had profound
protein-caloric malnutrition, severe rickets, osteoporosis, and vitamin B12
and other deficiencies. One infant died, while the three others had an
uneventful recovery. After discharge of the infants from the hospital, the
community responded well to a modification of the infants' diet, which did
not violate their vegetarian philosophy. However, they refused to give
their infants vitamin B12 on a regular basis.
