Vegan breastfeeding has caused an 11-month-old baby to die and the parents are charged with neglect after an autopsy indicated the baby suffered from severe deficiencies in Vitamin B12 and Vitamin A. Both these nutrients are known to be critical to a child’s development and sorely lacking in a vegan diet. This is why doctors strongly advise against nursing mothers and growing children following a vegan diet (1).
Vegans have long been advised to take B12 supplements as long term veganism runs the huge risk of serious B12 deficiency as well as other nutrients only found in animal foods such as true Vitamin A. Â Beta carotene is not true vitamin AÂ nor does it easily convert to adequate amounts of Vitamin A in the body to sustain optimal health.
While charging the parents in this tragedy is questionable as it smacks of too much interference by government into private life, it does communicate a clear message to other vegans:Â abstinence from all animal foods is a danger to one’s health and most particularly, your baby!
It also sends a clear message that what a nursing Mother eats definitely DOES affect the quality of her breastmilk, particularly with vegan breastfeeding. Many breastfeeding advocates insist that breastmilk will include all a baby needs despite what the Mother eats, but clearly this is not the case.
Traditional cultures took great care to ensure that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers consumed ample amounts of animal foods rich in vitamins A, D, E, K2 and of course B12. These foods included grass-fed butter, pastured eggs, liver, seafood, and fish eggs. Notice that none – NOT ONE of these traditionally sacred foods is plant-based!
Incidentally, the 2017 vegan film What The Health was unable to cite a single successful vegan population group either. Why? Because there are none. Ever.
If you are pregnant and breastfeeding and would like to learn what foods will maximally support the health of your baby while nursing, please check this link for the complete listing of traditionally sacred foods for optimal fetal and baby development. These foods will also ensure the preservation of your own health during pregnancy and lactation which can easily deplete a Mother’s nutritional stores leaving her vulnerable to exhaustion.
Vegan Parents Convicted
The vegan breastfeeding mother and father whose baby died as described in this article were convicted by a French court to 5 years in prison due to the imbalanced vegan diet the mother ate which led to nutrient-poor breastmilk and a failure to thrive child who eventually fell ill from severe nutrient deficiency and died without the parents ever seeking proper medical attention (source).
For more information on how vegan breastfeeding and also a vegan diet devastate the health of children, read about how a 12-year-old vegan was diagnosed with the degenerating bones of an 80-year-old.  Dr. Faisal Ahmed MD, a pediatrician treating the child, said that the dangers of forcing children to follow a strict vegan diet need to be publicized.
Unfortunately, vegan parents don’t seem to be getting the message quickly enough. The latest case involves vegans who nearly starved their 5-month-old baby to death feeding him potato mash instead of the doctor advised organic formula.
The child, who weighed just over 8 pounds and had sunken eyes and protruding ribs, is recovering but will likely suffer long-term damage from the experience (source).
References
Angelina Jolie says veganism nearly killed her
Supersize Me Girlfriend Quits VeganismÂ
Vitamin A Vagary
Vitamin B12: Vital Nutrient for Good Health
French vegan couple whose baby died of vitamin deficiency after being fed solely on breast milk face jail for child neglect
The comments are even more disturbing than the article itself. I feel sorry for that poor baby. The bottom line is that that baby died because of the parents fanatical ideology. I’m not talking about their vegan diet but all their actions as whole. And before anyone starts slinging mud and de-evolve into childish name calling, let me remind you:
1. The baby was 11 months old and was fed only breast milk!
2. The mother refused to take her child to the doctor because of her beliefs and only get medical professionals involved when it was too late!
She saw that her own child was severely malnourished and horribly sick and she still refused to get her proper care. The baby was twelve pounds at 11 months! I feel sorry for that poor baby who was essentially starved and neglected.
Harm none. Do as you will. I believe this. If you want to be Vegan. Go for it. If you refuse to see a doctor for whatever reason you choose. It’s your choice. But to subject that belief onto a defenseless baby to the point of severe medical problems is WRONG.
The parents were charged because their actions led to the death of their child. Period. I don’t think they should go to jail, and more than likely they won’t serve jail time (read the update). And I agree that the loss of the child is the pain the parents will always carry. But the charges brought against them were right and justified.
A simple test for the meat eaters. You are starving, walking down the road on a hot summer day you see a burger that has been in the sun for three days, you also see an apple for the same amount of time. which one do you think will kill you if you eat it? By the way, the true carnivorous animals can eat that burger and not get sick as their digestive tract is set up for that. But keep fooling yourselves on eating meat.
Some of these comments attacking veganism are SO ignorant.
The issue here was not the diet – it was the mother. She wasn’t eating properly to sustain herself, let alone a baby. There are PLENTY of vegans who thrive on a properly-balanced vegan diet and raise happy, healthy, breast-fed kids.
If a meat and diary eating woman who was bulimic or anorexic breast-fed a baby who later died from malnutrition, people would have attacked the mother for being irresponsible. THAT’S the real situation.
If you think veganism is somehow to blame for this, you are IGNORANT.
My own mother was NOT a vegan, or vegetarian by any stretch… But when I was about to turn 1(one) years old, I was in the hospital and almost died from anemia. I always heard how I spent my first birthday in the hospital, having had blood transfusions, etc. My mother did nothing more than shove a bottle of milk in my mouth any time I cried, according to what I was told( obviously not by her). I know that, by this age(1), I should have been eating some form of solid food. That said, It is more about what the mother feeds the baby, rather than the fact that she is a vegan or not. Shame on her for not starting the baby on solids..this whole vegan things seems to be along the lines of religion. It should be a personal thing. Period.
So people don’t understand that our bodies are designed omnivores..
Not sure what to do on this one. What about charging the pregnant mother who eats pizza and doritos with something as well?
This mother was taking things too far with her personal diet, and that’s fine, she can risk her own life, but not the kids’ life as well.
Balance is the key and eschewing all of anything except things like tobacco which have zero good effect is just plain batty.
Breaking news! My vegan wife gave birth to an 8.5 pound baby! Now she’s (gasp) exclusively breastfeeding him and he weighs 15 pounds at 3 months! 90th percentile! Quick! Blog about it! Oh, not newsworthy?
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/05/world-health-org-and-un-recommend-populations-eat-plant-based-diets.html
http://www.notmilk.com/
This article is pathetic plain and simple, grow up and just let this mother grieve in peace.