children's health

This is essential for a mother to remember, says Dr Duncan Dobunaba, Acting Chief Medical Operator – medical standards.

First set is the baby teeth, a total of 20. These start to come into mouth from six months to five years. In rare cases, a child can be born with a tooth in the mouth.

The second set is the permanent/adult teeth, a total of 32 teeth. These come into mouth from six to 18 years of age. The third, Molar teeth, can be missing and erupt after 18 years or may be hidden/impacted in the bone.

Hunter Medical Research Institute scientist Adam Collison who ran the study called it an "amazing finding".

"Ultimately, it means that kids will grow up without asthma who would have had it," Dr Collison said.

The breath test measured levels of nitric oxide, a marker of lung inflammation.

In the study, half the participants were prescribed medication doses based on how the women assessed their own symptoms.

The other half kept track of how they felt, but they were also assessed more precisely using the breath test.

The biggest concern with vegan diets in early childhood is nutritional inadequacy. Parents therefore need to be very well informed otherwise there's a risk of vitamin D, calcium, iron and possibly vitamin B12 deficiency.  

So what are the most important points parents have to remember when feeding their child a plant-based diet?

Breastfeeding