We've all heard the tragic case of the vegan parents imprisoned in Atlanta USA for killing their baby through cruel ignorance of basic baby nutrition.

This baby didn't die because of eating only plant based foods, it died because it was given insufficient and inappropriate plant based foods. Meat eating families also kill their babies through ignorance and neglect though it may be less likely to get the attention of the press. Two weeks' earlier, a couple from Phoenix were arrested for killing their baby through negligent starvation, but they are not vegan and the story didn't get far in the UK. Fortunately most parents aren't as careless as these two couples.

Having a vegan family has been very rewarding for me. I would never be this knowledgeable about nutrition had I not opened my eyes to it through going veggie. Without veganism, I may not even have been so determined to get through the first days of breast feeding to discover how reassuring, convenient, reliable and bonding it is. Parenting certainly accentuated my understanding of the overpowering bond between mother and child that we share with all mammals.

Our two kids are healthier and have a more varied diet than their non-vegan friends, are admired by all adults who meet them, stun their teachers with their depth of nutritional knowledge and are deeply proud of their vegan identity and compassion-based lifestyle. They're only just 7 and 4 years old, so watch this space. One of their best friends is a glowing life-long vegan who's health visitor said she'd grow up stupid without eating a bit of fish. She's now a medical student, with two equally talented and well-balanced siblings. Their parents are great role models for us, just tucked quietly away in the real world and getting on with life.

By Sophie Fenwick-Paul, as published in the Vegan magazine Summer 2007. You can subscribe to this excellent magazine through the Vegan Society, and by becoming a member (you don't need to be vegan) you support their great positive veganising work too.