[Health and nutritional status of 'alternatively' fed infants and young children, facts and uncertainties. II. Specific nutritional deficiencies; discussion].

This article, which is the second in a series of two articles, discusses available scientific information on the nutritional status of infants and preschool children on alternative diets with regard to calcium, iron, vitamin B12 and D. Some favourable aspects of alternative food habits in such children are also mentioned. Most studies report low intakes of vitamin D and in vegan and macrobiotic children also of calcium and vitamin B12, but it cannot be excluded that some alternative sources of these nutrient may have been missed. Deficiencies have been described for vitamin D and B12 but the evidence is often unconvincing. For example, exposure to sunlight has not been measured in most of the studies on rickets. From the literature available, it would appear that there is a need for longitudinal research on the growth and development of alternatively fed infants and preschool children and for information on the nutrient composition of alternative foods.