Does a vegan diet during pregnancy endanger the child?
A vegan diet during pregnancy is not possible without the risk of a newly occurring nutrient deficiency. Nevertheless, the continuation of a vegan diet during pregnancy is possible in principle without causing serious harm to the unborn child. First of all one should note that pregnant women, who would like to nourish themselves vegan, should consult a nourishing consultation.
On the one hand, the female body needs significantly more nutrients during pregnancy and, above all, an increased energy supply. A professional consultation can provide great support by explaining which nutrients are especially important for the mother and the unborn child and in which form of food they can be best absorbed. In addition, tips are given for a sufficient, healthy diet and great attention is paid to the additional intake of vitamins and minerals that are not taken in with vegan food.
Especially important is an additional supply of vitamin B12, as well as a sufficient amount of protein. In addition, vegans should always keep an eye on the intake of, as these nutrients play an important role in the development of the child‘s nervous system. In order to recognize an imminent lack of nutrients early, Veganerinnen guesses/advises regularly relevant blood values such as iron, Ferritin and Vitamin B 12 to determine to let.
- Iron,
- Folic acid,
- Calcium,
- Iodine
- And vitamin B2
What should vegan living, nursing mothers consider?
For mothers who breastfeed their babies, a vegan diet should generally not be a problem. Since babies take in all their essential nutrients and energy sources through their mother’s milk, nursing mothers should simply make sure that they eat a balanced diet as well as possible despite not using animal products and pay attention to the intake or additional intake of essential vitamins and nutrients. In most cases, vegan mothers have a good and comprehensive understanding of nutrition and its composition anyway.
Studies have also shown that vegan women automatically consume larger amounts of nutrients during pregnancy and lactation because they pay more attention to them. Just as in the pregnancy the satisfying mothers should take above all sufficiently Vitamin B12 and Folsäure, since this plays a large role not only in the embryonic time, but also still in the growth process of the baby. It is of outstanding importance for blood formation, cell division and the maturation of the nervous system.
In case of a pronounced deficiency, serious developmental disorders may occur. Nevertheless, studies have shown that vitamin B12 deficiency can also occur in pregnant or lactating women who are neither vegan nor suffer from gastrointestinal disease with associated vitamin B12 absorption disorders. The reasons for this are still unknown. A vegane nutrition of the nut/mother can bring also advantages for the child, for example the lowering of the allergy risk: One of the most frequent allergens, the cow milk proteins, are not taken up at all and thus the allergy danger for the child is reduced.