That a child dies of malnutrition is a cruel reality that occurs in many corners of the planet every day. That he does it in our "first world" is weirder, that's why this news that speaks of a French couple who are being tried for the death of their 11-month-old daughter due to malnutrition.
Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou are a couple of vegans who decided to ignore the WHO recommendations to introduce complementary feeding of the baby from six months of age and fed him for more months exclusively with breast milk, in addition to not properly monitor the baby's health and disregard medical guidelines.
The events occurred in March 2008, when the Moaligou, worried about the baby's thinness and paleness, warned the emergency services, that they could only confirm the death of the little girl when they arrived at the family home in Saint-Maulvis , about 145 kilometers north of Paris.
Louise had a significantly lower average weight for her age, and the autopsy revealed that she had a lack of vitamin A and B12, something that, according to experts, increases the likelihood of infections and that would be due to a "nutritional imbalance." It was determined that the cause of death was acute pneumopathy.
Parents, suspicious of conventional medicine, preferred to take care and cure their children by their own means and from their book readings. According to the experts of the case, after a medical examination when Louise was nine months old, the parents decided not to follow the advice of the doctor who recommended to hospitalize the baby before the bronchitis he suffered and the loss of weight.
Home remedies and medical neglect could aggravate the health problems of the child, something that her parents now recognize. They are accused of “Abandonment or deprivation of food followed by death” and face a penalty of 30 years in jail.
The vegan diet, which does not include any type of food of animal origin, is not that it is bad in itself, and in adults it can report certain health benefits if done properly, achieving a nutritional balance and seeking to supplement the Possible deficiencies
For example, there are no plant foods that can be considered reliable sources of B12, so vegetarians and vegans should eat supplements or fortified foods to cover health recommendations, something that the mother of the autopsy did not do in view of the autopsy results baby.
Exclusive breastfeeding beyond six months
We remind that the Breastfeeding Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics indicates that vegetarian mothers who breastfeed their baby should take a vitamin B12 supplement, apart from the general recommendations of the iodine supplement.
On the other hand, even if the baby had received complementary vegetarian or vegan food, there would also be deficiencies in their diet as indicated by different international health and pediatric organizations. A vegetarian diet would not be suitable for children, unless the associated deficiencies are overcome, especially if they are strict vegetarian or vegan diets.
It is clear that breastfeeding brings everything necessary to the baby During the first six months of life, and even many babies will spend a few more months with difficulties to try new foods and will get ahead thanks to breastfeeding, especially if there is adequate medical follow-up and a vitamin supplement is offered.
Remember that mother's milk remains the main food until the year of life. According to WHO:
Complementary feeding is defined as the process that begins when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet the nutritional needs of infants and therefore, other foods and liquids are necessary in addition to breast milk. The optimal age range for complementary feeding is usually between 6 and 24 months of age, although breastfeeding may continue until after two years.
So not offering new foods to the baby after six months of the baby in a prolonged way and not controlling their health can cause problems, especially if there are diseases for which the body needs to be strong, as it seems that it was The case of this baby.
A prolonged lack of basic nutrients for the health of babies can cause irreversible damage and even death as it has been in this case.
It is not about judging the parents' way of life, nor am I who to condemn them, and I try to imagine the pain they will be going through. But the less it seems to me that, if it is effectively confirmed, letting a baby die of malnutrition is a horrific negligence, regardless of what they eat or stop eating them.
