VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN DIET IN CHILDREN – guidelines of the Croatian Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition of the Croatian Medical Association
Autori:
Iva Hojsak, Tena Niseteo, Sanja Kolaček, Ranka Despot, Oleg Jadrešin, Nevenka Jelić, Vlatka Konjik, Ana Močić-Pavić, Goran Palčevski, Irena Senečić-Čala, Duška TješIć-Drinković, Jurica Vuković, Orjena Žaja, Zrinjka Mišak
Sažetak
Utjecaj vegetarijanske i veganske prehrane na zdravlje djece sve češće razmatraju ne samo pedijatri nego i drugi stručnjaci koji se bave zbrinjavanjem djece. Zato je cilj ovih smjernica, na temelju predočenih i sažetih znanstvenih dokaza o učinku vegetarijanske i veganske prehrane na zdravlje djece i adolescenata, iznijeti upute Hrvatskog društva za pedijatrijsku gastroenterologiju, hepatologiju i prehranu Hrvatskoga liječničkog zbora. Vegetarijanska, a posebice veganska prehrana, ne znači samo dokidanje mesa ili namirnica životinjskog podrijetla, već mora biti uravnotežena prehrana prilagođena djetetu. Ovakvo dijete iziskuje kontinuirani nadzor i ovlaštenog liječnika primarne zdravstvene zaštite i pedijatrijskog nutricionista, pri čemu obojica u tom pogledu moraju biti posebno educirani. Budući da ograničavanje broja namirnica koje dijete konzumira znatno povisuje rizik od nutritivnog deficita, roditelji koji se odluče na ovakvu prehranu i svi profesionalci koji zbrinjavaju ovu djecu moraju biti svjesni mogućih nutritivnih rizika koji su u dječjoj dobi puno viši nego u odraslih.
Summary
The influence of vegetarian and vegan diet on children’s health has been discussed not only by pediatricians but also by other professionals who take care of children. Therefore, the aim of this recommendations, based on presented and summarized scientific evidences on the effect of vegetarian and vegan diet on children’s and adolescents’ health, was to state the instructions of the Croatian Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition of the Croatian Medical Association. Vegetarian, and especially vegan diet, is not only the omission of meat and other food of animal origin, but has to represent balanced nutrition adjusted for children. Such a child requires continuous supervision not only by primary health physician but also by pediatric nutritionist, who both have to be specially educated in the field. As restrictions in diet significantly increase the risk for nutritional deficiencies, parents who decide to follow such a diet, and all professionals who take care of such children, have to be aware of possible nutritional risks that are much bigger than in adulthood.
