Vegan Parents Sentenced to Life
Written by LaTara Ham-Ying on May 5, 2007 at May 5th, 2007
I found out today that the parents of a six week old newborn were given an automatic life sentence in the death of their baby.
They were giving the baby a diet of soy milk and apple juice. The defense lawyers claimed that the parents did the best they could being that they were on a vegan diet.
When the baby died he was only 3.5 pounds.
Now this is just ridiculous! Could not the mother breast feed or if not, should she have used a sot based formula. Although, I do not advocate a soy based formula, if this mother was uncomfortable with breast feeding, then I say find an organic vegan friendly soy base…I am sure they are out there.
Another thought that came to mind was why not seek some nutritional counseling from a vegan expert.
The apple juice alone was a bad thing for the baby. The soy milk is similar to giving the baby dairy milk. Neither is good for the young new system of a baby.
There is no way they could have not known it was not right unless they have a mental problem or have been living under a rock.
My anger is not at the fact that they are vegans, because there are parents killing their children on non-vegan diets…and usually even more so because of an over abundance of high fat, highly processed food. So that is not then issue.
The issue for me is that they did not appear to take the time to find out what the baby needed. They were neglectful for whatever reason and that is a concern.
Who was there to help them? What is their mental capacity?
So many things to think about.
I am working on an article on the subject of feeing the vegan baby.
In the meantime…what are you thoughts?
Let’s share!
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May 6th, 2007 at 7:21 am
LaTara, this story shocked me. I do wonder if the parents were off their rocker. It’s hard to believe that someone could be so mis-informed and that there would be nobody around them who could see the problem and step in.
May 6th, 2007 at 8:45 am
This is unbelievable. Neglect comes in many forms, the fact that they were vegan has nothing to do with it. I’m all about breastfeeding so… in my book there is no excuse for not giving your child the best source of nutrients straight from mom.
May 6th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Wow, this is unbelievable. Yes, I agree that the parents must have been very mentally unstable (”off their rocker” as Kelly said!). We really do not know many details of the story - and like you say, Wendy, the fact that they are vegan is not even really relevant — it is just that they were very ignorant, because there are countless cultures worldwide that are close to vegan and they have healthy children. And this article makes it sound like you can’t be vegan and have healthy children.
Yes, there is no substitute for mother’s breast milk, though.
LaTara - that will be a great article, I’m sure.
Diana
May 6th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
You know Kelly, you are so right about the mental state of these parents. I can’t stop thinking about where their mind may have been.
Wendy, you hit the head on the nail when you said that the fact they are vegan has nothing to do with it.
A mother’s breast milk is especially formulated for their child. I only wish someone would have been there to consult these parents or that they would have reached out for some type of assistance.
May 6th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
I was disturbed by this article. Didn’t the parents know not to give regular soy milk to a newborn if they were not going to breastfeed (for whatever reason)??? Also I’m concerned states may start trying to generally stereotype vegan parents as unfit since this is not the first case where the parents were accuse of abusing the children. Remember the case in Florida???
May 7th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Wow! This is amazing, and I agree with the others, they must have had something wrong in the upstairs compartment. Missing a card from the deck as they say. And I too think they’ve been living under a rock. Everyone knows that #1 you don’t give juice to a baby that young and #2 Soy milk doesn’t give everything baby needs. grrrr. This infuriates me. And the bad part is, that write up makes vegans look bad.
Well, LaTara, I know you will make a good article to rebuttle (sp) that.
May 7th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
In the Florida case, it was eventually proven that the baby died from a disease having nothing to do with being a vegan. The bottom line with people who ridicule what they do not understand is ignorance. Even the lawyers in this case were ignorant with the comment that they made about the parents trying their best on a vegan lifestyle. I would like to shake them!!!
May 10th, 2007 at 12:06 am
The sad part is that these people who already have to suffer through the loss of a child are now being destroyed so the government can get it’s rocks off.
May 10th, 2007 at 10:35 am
This is SHOCKING!!! I’m a pediatric primary care provider, and I can’t believe this family didn’t seek any healthcare services or counseling for their baby. This could’ve been prevented by regular newborn visits and anticipatory nutritional guidance. Some important information for parents to know: Babies should have NOTHING but breastmilk or formula (although we all know breastmilk is preferable for multiple reasons that I won’t get into…) for the first 6 months of life. If you’re a vegan choosing not to breastfeed, you can find an organic soy-based formula, although you should be aware that soy-based formulas have been associated with Haschimoto’s Disease in male infants, as well as the feminization of male infants. Always choose formulas fortified with vitamin D and iron (even if this makes your baby a little constipated, THEY NEED IT!!!). At 6 months, you can begin introducing other foods. Start with baby cereal, then canned baby foods (keep in mind that home-made veggies that are steamed and mashed are always best because they don’t include preservatives, salt, and sugar). Always introduce veggies first, then fruits (because fruits are sweet and your baby will like them, and then won’t take to veggies later. Introduce only one vegetable/fruit per week and observe for allergic reactions. Introduce yellow vegetables first, then orange vegetables, then green ones… then fruit. Continue providing breast milk/formula to your child as you introduce foods, but decrease the amount to about 24oz per day. At one year, you can introduce milk (soy milk or whole milk only, the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend reduced-fat milks until 2 years of age, even if you think your baby is too “chubby”, it’s not time for a diet!!!). To wean your child from breastmilk/formula; replace one serving of breastmilk/formula with one serving of soy milk/whole milk per week. As for juice, just forget about it!!! If you insist on giving your child juice, know that they should not have more than 4oz per day, and it should be given with water (1 part juice : 2 parts water). Vegan children have everything they need to thrive and grow up to be healthy individuals, but the choices are in YOUR hands. Please love your child, get educated, seek regular healthcare, ask lots of questions… and get your child vaccinated!!! We live in a crazy world…