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This thesis reports on the relationship between diet, growth, blood chemistry, psychomotor development, and clinical findings in the Dutch population of children on macrobiotic diets.- The macrobiotic diet mainly consisted of cereals, pulses and vegetables with small additions of seaweeds, fermented foods, nuts and seeds. meat and dairy products were avoided, whereas fish was occasionally being eaten but not by young children. The total Dutch macrobiotic population was invited to join the study; the refusal rate was below 5 per cent. A cross- sectional anthropometric study in macrobiotic children between birth and 8 years of age (n = 243) revealed that the age curves declined from the P50 of the Dutch standard mainly between 6 and 18 months of age. A partial return towards the P50 was observed after 2 years of age for weight and arm circumference, but not for height. A subsequent mixedlongitudinal study in macrobiotic infants aged 4 - 18 months and a matched omnivorous control group showed that growth of the macrobiotic infants was slowest between 8 and 14 months. This was attributed to a lack of both energy and protein in the macrobiotic weaning diet. The observed growth retardation was associated with retardation in gross motor and language development. For calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and riboflavin, a low intake in combination with biochemical evidence of deficiency was found. Rickets was present in 28 per cent of macrobiotic infants in summer and 55 per cent in winter. AS a favourable aspect, lower levels of contaminants were found in the breast-milk of macrobiotic mothers. It is concluded that nutritional deficiencies are present in a high proportion of macrobiotic infants. Continued marginal deficiencies in older macrobiotic children seem to prevent catch-up growth in height. It is advised to adapt the macrobiotic diet as to include fatty fish (100 - 150 g/week), oil (20 - 25 g/day) and dairy products (one serving per day).