The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diet on Breastmilk Composition

The CDC recommends infants are breastfed exclusively for 6 months, but in the US, only 25% of infants reach this goal. One barrier that breastfeeding women face is inadequate intake of necessary nutrients for the health of the infant. Vegan and vegetarian women are at increased risk for vitamin deficiencies in the diet, and research showed that these populations are more likely to have breast milk that is deficient in key nutrients. With the popularization of these diets, we sought to research the effects of dietary intake on the breastmilk, specifically in how it relates to nutrients essential for the proper growth and development of an infant. Nurses must ensure that patients are receiving relevant prenatal and postpartum education relating to nutrition and breastfeeding in order to increase the likelihood of breastfeeding success.