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
sad
I have to say, I was raised vegan, simply because we were too poor to afford dairy. However, my mother fed us plenty of legumes, potatoes, green and orange veggies, and fruit. When we went to the doctor, he said “these are the healthiest kids I have ever seen”. May I remind how many people suffer from heart disease because of their excessive meat intake. I’ve taken care of patients in a heart hospital, believe me, it’s bad. The point is that no matter what diet you eat, it MUST BE BALANCED. Think about the chicken nugget girl, 17 yr old that only ate chicken nuggets? And, also, I exclusively breastfed my youngest for his first year of life, there is nothing wrong with it, he was a chubby little fellow, and now is strong and healthy (mind you, I ate a balanced vegetarian, mostly vegan diet). However, if you don’t have the right balance in your diet, your child won’t either (you can not make vit. out of nothing). Look and stop attacking a certain type of diet, instead realize that this is what happens when people don’t eat a balanced diet.
Do your research guys. This baby died after contracting bronchitis. The parents decided to try to treat the poor thing “with cabbage and clay poultices and massages with camphor and garlic oil.” So yes, they were negligent in that sense and it’s a terrible tragedy – but the baby did not die of malnutrition. The fact that the parents were vegan is quite irrelevant.
This is not a vegan issue. Dont give the media what it wants you blind indiots. Im vegan and Im an example, my Doctor says. Even my cardiologist said he wishes everyone would eat like me! B12??? Bogus.
If anyone read this article, they would realize that the child died after not being treated for bronchitis. The parents did not have a healthy diet and they neglected the baby. This does not mean that a healthy vegan diet would be bad for any adult or baby. This post is sensationalist and misleading.
I do believe that a vegitarian diet can be handled correctly, but yes, the one thing that stands out in my mind is that so many moms who breast fed their little ones gave me a ration of crap when I stopped after 6 weeks. Typically I wouldn’t think much of it, but just ilke the article says, they believe they can eat whatever they want and breastfeeding is simply enough. I would see them drinking sodas, eating highly sugary items, high carbs etc. Things that are basically just processed crap! I had not one ioda of envy for them for being able to carry on their breast feeding much longer than I did, because my six weeks of BF’ing was mainly organic, natural, gluten free, high in protein and very much primal. My son is 18 months old now, and it’s still pretty much that way, for me and him now! 🙂 Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was left with little to nothing by six weeks when it came to breast feeding and i knew my pride could not get in the way, I had to supplement. I wish I knew then what I know now about milk banks etc, but even after reading this, it does make me aware that I don’t know what diet the mother donating her milk is on…what she’s taking…drinking…eating. You know? I do agree breast is BEST! However, advocates should take note, that just because they are BF’ing does not mean in any shape or form they have the 1up on those who are not unless they are taking fine care of their own nutritional intake, cause yes, what you eat, baby gets, just like during pregnancy.
HERES the real problem
“was deficient in vitamins A and B12 as a result of her parents ‘dietary imbalance.’ The deficiencies were found to have increased her risk of infection. ”
Not that the mother exclusively breastfed but when her infant became ill she did not seek assistance and instead tried homeopathic remedies and allowed the infant to die.
“Joel and Sergine Le Moaligou were accused of further negligence by refusing to seek medical assistance when she contracted bronchitis.
Instead of taking her to hospital the couple tried to treat her with cabbage and clay poultices and massages with camphor and garlic oil. “
Anyone who believes that vitamin B12 is “made by our gut flora” is SERIOUSLY MISINFORMED and likely willfully ignorant!!!!! B12 is SYNTHESIZED by our gut flora, not CREATED from it. Our gut flora helps to break it down so our bodies can use it, it doesn’t make it. B vitamins only come from outside sources; humans must EAT them either from a vegetable or animal source.
Veganism isn’t 100% bad, and neither is being a meat-eater. That being said, humans are most certainly made to eat MEAT. We are not made only to eat vegetable matter; if that was the case, no vegan would ever have to take a nutritional supplement in order to be healthy.
most of these people have probably never even had an official dietary class. the fact that the stomach is specifically designed to break down proteins ‘including meat’ and the fact that i have led a healthy life while eating meat makes me realize a few things.
people are uneducated, google-stupid, idiots.
moderation is everything in any diet.
most dietary bigots have never had any sort of nutrition class. at all. ever. get off google. go to school.
You may want to mention, if you’re interested in honesty here, that the neglect had mostly to do with the fact that after the child had fallen ill, the parents refused to consult a doctor. I think the author of this article is too interested in promoting a frankly ridiculous point that honesty has eluded her.
Sorry, that is wrong. The child fell ill because of nutritional deficiency from being breastfed by a vegan.
And what exactly do you blame when a child of a meat eating parent dies from failure to thrive? Do you blame that woman’s breast milk too? Even though she is eating meat?
Being vegan causes bronchitis? What about the meat eaters who get it?