Vegan parents charged with food deprivation over baby's death

[ST]

Two vegans who fed their 11-month-old daughter only mother's milk went on trial in northern France on Tuesday charged with neglect after their baby died suffering from vitamin deficiency.

Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou, whose vegan diet forbids consuming any animal product including eggs and cow's milk, called the emergency services in March 2008 after becoming worried about their baby Louise's listlessness.

When the ambulance arrived at their home in Saint-Maulvis, a small village 150km north of Paris, the baby was already dead.

The ambulance workers called the police because the child was pale and thin, weighing 5.7kg compared to an average 8kg for her age.

The baby had only been fed on the milk of her mother, who was aged 37 at the time.

An autopsy showed that Louise was suffering from a vitamin A and B12 deficiency which experts say increases a child's sensitivity to infection and can be due to an unbalanced diet.

"The problem of vitamin B12 deficiency could be linked to the mother's diet," said Anne-Laure Sandretto, deputy prosecutor in the city of Amiens where the trial is taking place.

The parents, who also have a 13-year-old daughter who did not suffer vitamin deficiencies, became vegan after seeing "a television programme about how cattle were taken to abattoirs," said the mother's lawyer, Stephane Daquo.

They distrust traditional medicine and prefer to treat their children using their own methods, in accordance with advice from books.

"The couple did not follow the doctor's advice to hospitalise the baby who was suffering from bronchitis and was losing weight when they went for the nine-month check-up," Daquo said.

"They preferred applying clay or cabbage poultices whose recipes they found in their books. These are people who read the wrong thing at the wrong time," said Daquo.

The parents are still vegan and "are completely aware of the mistake they made," said the father's lawyer, Patrick Quenel.

The couple has been charged with "neglect or food deprivation followed by death" and face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Source:
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/82...er-babys-death

[Road_Warrior]

I find it difficult to accept that at the baby's age (even taking into account their vegan beliefs) they could not have given the baby pasta or pureed fruit and vegetables.

[dannyxm]

Stupid parents.

Im vegan. Heaven help me that i will let my views get in the way of the health of my child.

Alarm bells should be ringing in their ears.

Obviously they have no done their research in looking at other REAL alternatives as to the upbringing of the child, let alone keeping track of the child's weight which i would assume to be obvious.

These idiots give us vegos a horrible name.

[TheInterceptor]

Really people are becoming this stupid?

[|||]

being vegan isnt really the issue here. its another case of idiots not trusting doctors.

so many parents these days think their kid is a special unique snowflake and modern medicine is no match for a mother's opinion. the kid really is better off now. it would have died anyway from an easily preventable illness.

[wrongwaynorris]

Gaol them both for a bloody LONG time . Oh and sterilise them both too .

[Rodp]

Good luck with a vegan diet in prison.

[EFJay]

I cant believe that people can be that cruel to kids. these two should be staved and made to suffer just as that poor child did.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Rodp

Good luck with a vegan diet in prison.

Thats meat, that ain't meat!

[Kryton]

He'll be on a daily diet of sausage.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by davway

He'll be on a daily diet of sausage.

A meat injection in prison regardless if they want it or not.

On a serious note though, my wife is veggo, not vegan and her mum often thinks these 'you beaut' DIY over the net self diagnosis methods work. She refuses to see a doctor and take any medication but would rather choose her own method of 'getting better'.

[Scott]

You'd be surprised how many people out there think that mothers milk is all their bundles of joy need - scary stuff.

[Iggypoppin']

I bet the parents in question have questionable hygiene and drive a prius...

[Bobman]

Disgusting how the parents forced their beliefs onto a child and let them suffer like that.

[XESP351]

Some people shouldn't be allowed to breed!

[Racecraft]

30 years in prison would be a lifetime away from the guilt they'd feel @ losing /contributing to the death of their young one.....

Charging them with a crime might go someway to opening others eyes, but imho an educational campaign highlighting the dangers with exposing little 'ems to parental lifestyles would be so much more beneficial to society....

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by Iggypoppin'

I bet the parents in question have questionable hygiene and drive a prius...

I question whether they could afford one...

[Turboconvert]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

30 years in prison would be a lifetime away from the guilt they'd feel @ losing /contributing to the death of their young one.....

Charging them with a crime might go someway to opening others eyes, but imho an educational campaign highlighting the dangers with exposing little 'ems to parental lifestyles would be so much more beneficial to society....

Agreed, but unfortunitly in this case it is too late for the poor baby. But when it comes to a lot of things where different opinions come into play, education as a way of prevention is better then a cure. In this case, a baby losses its life and parents go to prison. Not to say that the parents shouldnt go to prison. Would the baby have died if the parents where better informed? Possibly not, but then again they did ignore doctors advice for hospitalising the baby so that just opens up a can of worms as to what other 'good advice' was ignored..... trying not to speculate to much as this is a news item after all and a lot of potential information is missing. But going off what is in the article, my statment stands.
My thoughts and prayers go out for the other little girl as too how she might be dealing with all of this and knowing that her parents ultimitly caused the death of her sister. Her life must now be a living nightmare.

[Kryton]

Originally Posted by uteaddict

My thoughts and prayers go out for the other little girl as too how she might be dealing with all of this and knowing that her parents ultimitly caused the death of her sister. Her life must now be a living nightmare.

Im willing to bet that as far as she and the parents are concerned, it wasnt their fault at all.
The parents would have brain washed the lifestyle into her already.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

I don't want to turn this into a Vegan bashing round, however I can speak from experience here.

My father was very ill when I was a kid, he tried everything to get healthy, however when he went vegan he said that he had no energy, and constantly felt like he was lacking what he needed out of his food.

Iron and Protein are not easy to get into you on a vegan diet.

Also, a fellow at work is vegan, and has more sick days off than most people in the department, is always complaining of being tired and is thin as a rake.

I understand that it is their choice, but perhaps they should feed their kids until they are old enough to make their own lifestyle choices

[Mr Hardware]

There's room for all God's creatures
Right next to the mashed potatoes

[SEZ213]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

I don't want to turn this into a Vegan bashing round, however I can speak from experience here.

My father was very ill when I was a kid, he tried everything to get healthy, however when he went vegan he said that he had no energy, and constantly felt like he was lacking what he needed out of his food.

Iron and Protein are not easy to get into you on a vegan diet.

Also, a fellow at work is vegan, and has more sick days off than most people in the department, is always complaining of being tired and is thin as a rake.

I understand that it is their choice, but perhaps they should feed their kids until they are old enough to make their own lifestyle choices

+1 from me there, I never went as far as vegan, (love my eggs too much), but it's not a lifestyle for a child that's for sure, especially not an infant.

[fte50]

Selfish meat heads - forcing their eft up ideals on the innocent.
I somehow bet that if their pet cat was ill, it would have gone to a vet in time.

[Dr Jekkyl]

The vegan lifestyle is counter-evolutionary.

[dave289]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

I don't want to turn this into a Vegan bashing round, however I can speak from experience here.

My father was very ill when I was a kid, he tried everything to get healthy, however when he went vegan he said that he had no energy, and constantly felt like he was lacking what he needed out of his food.

Iron and Protein are not easy to get into you on a vegan diet.

Also, a fellow at work is vegan, and has more sick days off than most people in the department, is always complaining of being tired and is thin as a rake.

I understand that it is their choice, but perhaps they should feed their kids until they are old enough to make their own lifestyle choices

My sister is vegan , and now has three boys. She lives some distance from me so I dont see her all that often. When I went to visit her once when the 2 boys at the time were very young, she seemed to be feeding them nothing but her bean crap diet, I asked her what else she feeds them ,and she said something about they get all they need in that. I sort of went of the richter a bit and asked what the hell she was doing. Mind you her husband is there and is not vegan, but does not have the balls to stand up to her. So he ends up eating a bean diet too. Anyway after I went off a bit she tell me they can make up their mind when their old enough. I then went off again and explained how important is was for them to eat meat and they can not get all they need from vegies alone. I then went on to tell her that she had already made up there mind for them. I said she ate meat as a kid and so should they and if they want to eat vegetarian or whatever later on they can decide then. Luckily I did get through to her and she now lets them eat whatever they like. While they were'nt my kids I do feel some responsibility for them and had to say something as no one else would.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Rodp

Good luck with a vegan diet in prison.

"does anything NOT have meat in it?"
"hmm, maybe the meatloaf"

[ltd]

'nuff said?

[shedcoupe]

If we're not supposed to eat animals, then why are they made of meat ?

[Fled74]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

If we're not supposed to eat animals, then why are they made of meat ?

You beat me to it.
If we weren't meant to eat animals, why did God create barbecue sauce?

[Mr Hardware]

For every animal you don't eat, i'll eat two.