I don't mean this is a sarcastic way, this is truly just out of curiosity: Is it considered un-vegan to feed your infant your own breast milk?

I have vegetarian friends, and I know that becoming vegan is such a commitment to keeping up with your own nutritional needs that aren't being met in traditional ways. Children have such a complex roster of nutritional requirements. I would think that for a parent to in good conscience feed their child a strictly vegan diet, they would want it to be under supervision of a medical expert.

King's,

I think it depends on who you ask, but the basic philosophy of being vegan is that they don't consume any food or drink from an animal. Because breast milk is produced naturally by the mother, I would think it would be ok to feed the child breast milk.

I'm not a vegan, but I am close with people who are, and that's what I take from it, but someone can stop me if I'm wrong.

I actually watched the story about the couple mentioned above, it was really sad when the baby died I think it was 6 weeks old and weighed under 4 pounds, if I remember correctly. It is really sad!

If I ever have kids, I'll raise them vegetarian. Kids can definitely be healthy on a meatless diet. Like any diet, it just has to be well-balanced. I mean, I think any parent could see that a stir-fry with tofu and veggies is a better meal or a toddler than, say, fried chicken with potato chips.

I personally could never be a total vegetarian (I love steak... and eggs... and milk... and cheese...) but I do enjoy vegetarian and vegan options a healthy way to cut back on fat. i would most likely stick to organic, free-range and local foods, including meat, with my kids and then if they choose to become a vegetarian, i would definitely support them.

and no happy meals, EVER.

This story is so sad — I don't think it has anything to do with the family being vegan, just ignorant! I'm a vegetarian and my husband eats meat so we're raising our kids to make their own decisions.

I think it is important to realize all the nutrients children need. If you can make sure that the child is getting those nutrients and be vegan then by all means, its your child. There's tons of people who smoke cigarettes in front of their kids but they don't get taken to court, that's clearly not healthy for the child. If its possible to get the child the nutrients and protein that they need, why not?
I tried to just go vegetarian and I had trouble getting protein but I'm also a picky eater.
My only objection really is that the child would never be able to eat meat. After you don't eat meat for, I believe it is 6 months you lose the enzymes that digest it... so the parents basically decides the child will never eat meat.
I think eating organic non processed foods is the best route.

My mom raised us at a young age as vegetarians, when i got old enough i wanted to eat meat and she was fine with that. I would say that its okay to raise them as veggies, but if they dont want to be, to respect that and let them choose.

i think making that kind of decision takes away part of growing up for the child. i can understand parents looking for better ways to handle their child's diet--especially in today's alternative-everything world though.

i agree with krampalicious. i intend on raising my children with organic and local foods and let them make the decision based upon an already healthy diet.

I have been a vegetarian for a 1 1/2 years and this past month I have transitioned to a full vegan diet. Some people I have spoken with believe breast milk is fine because all animals drink it but they do not believe there is a reason to drink it after infancy and humans are the only animals that consume another animals milk. That is the approach I will be taking. I do not think I would strictly limit my kids meat or dairy intake but I would probably not make it a regular meal staple and allow them to choose what they want to eat when old enough.

I agree with you Citizen: it is not veganism that is the issue here but responsible parenting. I really think that it is a crime that in a country as developed as ours that we have not spent the time to teach children to make healthy choices. We have glaring warning signs in the news: obesity, a dramatic increase is diabetes, heart problems rising (even for women in their thirties!). Proper nutrition needs to become a priority for this country. Healthy choices should be made available to everyone, especially for low-income families who can't afford the high prices of organic and nutritious foods.

At the end of the day, I think raising your kids on a healthy, responsible diet is to do them a favor- I was lucky enough to be raised by very health-conscious parents, and while I complained a lot about not having cookies and Fruit Roll-Ups in my lunches as a kid, my body is accustomed to healthy foods and exercise. And I'm grateful for that.

Aside from food choices, I think this article is also a reminder that this country could always use greater focus on family planning and birth control- needless to say, many people who are becoming parents aren't fully prepared for the responsibilities of having a child.

Breast milk is totally healthy and ideal for babies... this couple killed their baby by being complete idiots, not by being vegan. My husband and I will raise our child on a strict vegan diet, not just because it's way healthier, but also because we feel like eating meat is morally wrong. As a parent, you raise your child to follow whatever moral code you have... for us, our diet IS our moral code. I'm sure we'll encounter obstacles, like insensitive peers or friends' parents trying to feed him animal products, but we KNOW our child will be the better for it.

This story aside, I otherwise find it amusing that people will say "if you're going to raise your kids veg*n, make sure to be careful, making sure the kids get all the necessary nutrition." Well of course! Shouldn't that be advice to all? It's particularly odd when posed to a veg*n, because more often than not, veg*ns are the ones that are the healthiest. (Yes, I know, not always.)

If you think that consuming something is really bad for your child, it would make sense to not allow the child to consume it. Otherwise, we'd tell kids, drink all the alcohol and smoke all the cigarettes you want (assuming the fact that it's illegal isn't the only objection).

Babies need foods high in fat, with lots of iron. I am sure this can be done as a vegan, but it can't be easy. I am not a vegetarian, but I do eat all organic, when possible, and make all my own baby food.

I think these parents starved their baby. There are so many formulas out there that are made from soy or corn. Babies as young as 6 weeks can get permission from a doctor to start oatmeal or rice. There is no excuse for this to happen.

jnj213 - re: the enzyme you mention, I don't see how it's possible that not providing meat to a child makes that child veg*n for life. A couple friends of mine were raised entirely vegetarian but now eat meat (started in the teens). They don't consume it all the time, but they do consume it. And it looks like CaterpillarGirl might be another example. I do know that former vegetarians have become very ill when they started eating meat (same for a former vegan friend that started eating dairy), but they got over it.

Remedios, you're right and humans actually don't EVER have this enzyme anyways, if she's referring to the one I'm thinking of.

i'm not vegan, but i have been vegetarian for 16 years and do enjoy some vegan food options. my husband has been vegetarian since birth. his parents had three boys, raised them all vegetarian, and they are all quite healthy. i believe all three were free to experiment with meat outside of the house if they chose to, and tried it a couple times, but ultimately chose to stick with vegetarianism. we'll definitely raise our child(ren) vegetarian.

the couple whose child died did not die of a vegan diet, but rather of neglect. i don't know of any vegans who would deny their children breastmilk. that is just so sad.

I've been vegan for 10 years and so this is something I think about (and discuss with my husband) quite frequently. I think we are leaning towards a vegetarian diet for our children (when we have them-LATER!) as I was raised veggie until like, 6, and I turned out great! I definitely want to introduce soy as well, just a well balanced diet really! For sure I will be breast feeding though-soy milk and apple juice is just insane.

Personally I could never be vegitarian or vegan b/c I love my steak too much, but I definetly support other parents in their right to raise their children either.

is the whole sugar team meat-free? just a question

I think its ok to raise your children as vegetarian / vegan- i always see cookbooks about how to make nutritious vegan meals for kids.

As long as you dont starve them to death I think youre good... that story is so sad.

I;m a vegetarian but I never made my children vegetarians. I think i it is something that they want to do when they are older that is fine with me and if they want to eat meat that is also okay.This couple must of not been feeding their baby soy baby formula.My youngest daughter was on soy milk because of an milk intolerance and she is just fine.I think the death had more to do with starvation than the soy milk.

Comment on the enzyme- I was raised vegetarian until I went to a birthday party in elementary school and experienced McDonalds (yes dont laugh). I could eat not just meat, but heavily processed fast food meat, and I was fine. So just a note that just because you raise a kid vegetarian doesnt mean s/he is stuck for life!

I mean kids are kids, they're gonna rebel and do what they want to the first chance they get so whatever.

You could try to keep them veg, but once they get out somewhere without you, (say at school for lunch) they're gonna get whatever they want when they see it if thats their choice.

Good luck trying to keep them away from the chicken nuggets and pepperoni pizza when all their other little friends are getting it.

Don't mind what my kids eat, as long as it doesn't kill them. I love steak, so I would raise them eating meat. I dont have a problem with them turning vegans at any age, as long as they understand WHY they're doing it. I know that it's a lifestyle people live not just for healthy reasons and what not. So as long as they get it, it's cool with me!

I am practically vegan (a vegetarian with lactose intolerance so dont get much dairy) and my husband eats meat (although rarely). We have discussed how we will raise our children and our plan is to not force them to be strict vegetarians, but attempt to instill in them that meat/poultry/fish/dairy is an occasional food like McDonalds, not to be eaten regularly. If they want to experiment out of the house thats fine, and if they choose to become veggies, even better! But the focus at home is lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains and beans!

j2e1- No problemo. It's called meetyourmeat.com and it's repulsive enough to keep them away from nuggets for a lonnnnnggg time.

I think vegetarian is fine but I would not raise my children Vegan. I was a vegetarian for 11 years, my brother is a homeopathic doctor, and so are three of my friends. I got very sick, and all four of them told me I HAD to eat meat again, not a lot of course, but I had to get meat, fish and chicken in my diet (I was a very healthy vegetarian, I ate very balanced). I have been a meat eater for 2 years now and would not go back to being a veggie. I have more engery, I look better I rarely ever get sick. People comment all the time at how great I look now, so I think my body just needs what comes from meat. I only eat organic free range meat, and my children will have to eat the same.

I tried Vegan for a while but I was under weight anyway and that was just too much for me. I could not eat enough to keep my weight up, so that is when I went to veggie.

That baby died because his parents were stupid, not because they were vegan.

Parents make decisions for their children all the time, dietary or otherwise (it's sort of their job) - and if rising childhood obesity is any indication, they often make the wrong choices. I completely support vegan parents feeding their children vegan diets. But, as with any child, on any diet, the parents need to be educated about and observant of children's nutritional needs.

I think the reason people often feel veganism is "too hard" or "not nutritious" is because America is a meat-, egg- and dairy-heavy culture. Most just aren't brought up to know how to eat nutritiously without those things (not that we necessarily do with them), and even our doctors and nutritionists aren't necessarily educated to know how to tell us to be healthy on vegan diets (so their solution is "eat eggs, eat dairy, eat meat"). But as with any challenge, education is the solution. It's even easier now with the "vegan revolution" and explosion of vegan cookbooks that cover a lot more than salads. I encourage anyone who wants to lead a healthier, more ethical lifestyle to look into it.

hey foxie, I like my nuggets! it's not a crime! lol but interesting link. mmmm...nuggets!

Sometime in the very, very, very distant future it will be a crime. But don't worry, you'll be dead by then, along with a trillion factory farmed animals.

well, as long as its not a crime now...CALM DOWN! i was raised that way and I cant help that I like meat! Animals eat other animals too...so THAT should be a crime as well? where does the cycle stop? Leave the meat-eaters alone!

People with responses like THAT are the reason Vegans give me a bad vibe....they get so defensive. AND NO OFFENSE TO EVERYONE ELSE! Foxie was just helping me prove a point.

now if you'll excuse me, I'ma go throw some steak on my grill! cuz it's a free country!

I saw this story - I think it was a part of THS Investigates: Fad Diets - I just didn't understand why that couple would choose to not breast feed their child. What was the most alarming was that they interviewed the Dad and he said that he didn't do anything wrong, and that he would not have changed a thing.

I have no problems with raising a child as a vegan, as long as they are still getting fed right. Apple juice and Soy Milk is not feeding an infant right.

Wow, erratic indeed. No, obviously it shouldn't be a crime for animals who are natural carnivores to hunt and eat their pray. Animals don't cage other animals up and breed them in nightmarish conditions in order to eat them. It's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth. Most people, like you, are raised eating meat and grow to like it. I was/did too. That doesn't mean that factory farming is excusable, and it doesn't mean that in the future humankind won't grow to recognize its past mistakes.

I was really offended when the word vegan was tossed around so much in this case. It was NOT a case of veganism causing the death of this child, it was uninformed parents neglecting their child.

Since becoming vegan, I have been happier and healthier than ever before. If I ever decide to have children, they will most likely eat vegan at home -- I wouldn't try to prevent them from trying new things outside of the home, but I will not buy animal products with my money.

That couple were mentally ill and neglectful. Actual vegans are so much more educated about health and the effect their diet might have on children. I do not see how feeding a child hamburgers, processed sugar in juice, and french fries is accepted but a plant-based diet is not. Even Dr. Spock himself advocated a vegan diet for children in his last book. A vegan diet for children is not apple juice and soymilk. I'm not sold 100% on a vegan diet, but since obesity and heart disease are so prevalent in our country and our children, and one of the strongest correlative links between diet and disease is between red meat and heart disease, why we don't talk more about the health of plant-based diets is beyond me.

That story absolutely sickened me. Did these people even consider soy formula? Hello?!?!?!

You want to raise your kid vegan when he/she starts solids, fine. But formula or breast milk is the primary source of nutrition for your baby's ENTIRE first year of life.

Here's an idea; let your children eat what they want, as long as it's healthy and in moderation.

GO MEAT! (lol, sorry, I had to say it)

I agree with JovianSkies! Kids will eat what they want to, you can't expect your kid to love to eat what you do. And if you are going veggie or vegan, have some common sense when it comes to a newborn infant, please!

Lol at your "go meat" comment! I'm with you, I love me a good steak!

It still warms my heart to see so many vegetarians on this site.

I think raising a child on a vegan diet is possible to do healthily, but it requires a vast amount of diligent research, and close relationships with pediatricians and nutritionists.

I used to have a friend who guilted her daughter into becoming vegan when her mom made the switch, and she was very unhealthy and had many behavioral problems as a result.

Just a thought, I think this kid in the photo could've used a few more nutrients himself...not the best posterchild for eating healthfully :-/

I think that parents should feed their children whatever they feel is healthy. It should be common sense that if you're child is failing to thrive you should talk to a doctor and change your behavior.

Also, just a thought, must any discussion concerning whether or not to eat meat degenerate into personal attacks? Can't we just respect each other's beliefs, values, and lifestyles?