exclusively breasfeed baby dies

Two strict vegans have gone on trial in France charged with "neglect or food deprivation" after the death of their breastfed 11-month-old daughter who was found to be suffering from vitamin deficiency.

Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou called an ambulance to their home in the village of Saint-Maulvis – 90 miles north of Paris – in March 2008 after their daughter Louise became listless. By the time paramedics arrived, the baby had died.

The police were alerted after the ambulance crew noticed the baby was pale and thin and a doctor refused to issue a death certificate. A postmortem showed the child, who had been fed only on her 37-year-old mother's milk, weighed 5.7kg when she should have been about 8kg.

She was also suffering from deficiency of vitamins A and B12, which may have left her susceptible to infection. She died of a pneumonia-related illness.

Medical experts told the court in Amiens that the vitamin deficiency could have been caused by an unbalanced diet. While anxious not to call into question the couple's lifestyle, Anne-Laure Sandretto, the deputy prosecutor, admitted: "The problem with a vitamin B12 deficiency could be linked to the mother's eating habits."

The parents, who also have a 13-year-old daughter who was not found to be suffering from any deficiencies, said they became vegan after seeing a TV programme about "how animals were taken to abattoirs", said the mother's lawyer, Stephane Daquo.

At the time of their daughter's death, they were running an organic food business and refused to eat any animal products. Daquo said they had a mistrust of traditional medicine and preferred to treat their children's complaints with advice from books.

"The couple did not follow the doctor's advice to take the baby to hospital when they went for her nine-month checkup and found she was suffering from bronchitis and was losing weight," he said. Instead they treated her with cabbage poultices, mustard and camphor and washed her with earth and clay instead of giving her baths, the court heard.

Daquo said the couple had been reading "the wrong things at the wrong moment". "They preferred to use recipes [treatment] based on clay or cabbage poultices that they got from their books," he said.

Patrick Quenel, lawyer for the father, whose business has gone into liquidation, said the couple were "completely aware of the mistakes they made".

They have been charged with "neglect or food deprivation followed by death" and face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison if convicted. The hearing is expected to last until Friday.

[URL=Two strict vegans have gone on trial in France charged with "neglect or food deprivation" after the death of their breastfed 11-month-old daughter who was found to be suffering from vitamin deficiency.

Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou called an ambulance to their home in the village of Saint-Maulvis – 90 miles north of Paris – in March 2008 after their daughter Louise became listless. By the time paramedics arrived, the baby had died.

The police were alerted after the ambulance crew noticed the baby was pale and thin and a doctor refused to issue a death certificate. A postmortem showed the child, who had been fed only on her 37-year-old mother's milk, weighed 5.7kg when she should have been about 8kg.

She was also suffering from deficiency of vitamins A and B12, which may have left her susceptible to infection. She died of a pneumonia-related illness.

Medical experts told the court in Amiens that the vitamin deficiency could have been caused by an unbalanced diet. While anxious not to call into question the couple's lifestyle, Anne-Laure Sandretto, the deputy prosecutor, admitted: "The problem with a vitamin B12 deficiency could be linked to the mother's eating habits."

The parents, who also have a 13-year-old daughter who was not found to be suffering from any deficiencies, said they became vegan after seeing a TV programme about "how animals were taken to abattoirs", said the mother's lawyer, Stephane Daquo.

At the time of their daughter's death, they were running an organic food business and refused to eat any animal products. Daquo said they had a mistrust of traditional medicine and preferred to treat their children's complaints with advice from books.

"The couple did not follow the doctor's advice to take the baby to hospital when they went for her nine-month checkup and found she was suffering from bronchitis and was losing weight," he said. Instead they treated her with cabbage poultices, mustard and camphor and washed her with earth and clay instead of giving her baths, the court heard.

Daquo said the couple had been reading "the wrong things at the wrong moment". "They preferred to use recipes [treatment] based on clay or cabbage poultices that they got from their books," he said.

Patrick Quenel, lawyer for the father, whose business has gone into liquidation, said the couple were "completely aware of the mistakes they made".

They have been charged with "neglect or food deprivation followed by death" and face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison if convicted. The hearing is expected to last until Friday.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/29/vegans-trial-death-baby-breast-milk



Edited by bowie

So the poor thing wasn't eating any solids?? Just BM? Poor poor baby

Gosh you wonder how some people are still functioning themselves without having to care for a child as well. In France they have the lowest BF rate of all OECD countries, it is very rare for mums to continue BF after leaving the hospital from giving birth! This will just be used to show that BF is "bad" for babies. *sigh.

Here ya go, I found the artice I read. Read some of the stupid comments at the bottom. Link

I think this is a problem with the parents not BFing.

It was quite common back in the days to offer nothing but breastmilk until that age. I guess so long as you have normal diet which most people do all would have been fine.

I always offered solids to DD from 6 months but she never really started eating until 8 months. She was bf only.

"Everyone, however, knows the dangers of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding destroys lives. It starts by robbing women of their most powerful weapons of seduction, then their style and then their feminine mystery. Before you know it your baby is sleeping in your bed, and you are carrying her around like an African villager and avoiding so many proper French foods that you may as well be doing Ramadan. Lovemaking and une vraie vie de couple becomes impossible, sending husbands running into the arms of their mistresses or gay colleagues who they can be sure will never turn into brooding sucklers." (quoted from Athaelias link can't make the quote box work)

I lol'd, seriously.

ETA: this comment wins!

"Penises......not for urinating out of, but actually playthings for wives!"




Edited by bowie

bowie wrote: "Everyone, however, knows the dangers of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding destroys lives. It starts by robbing women of their most powerful weapons of seduction, then their style and then their feminine mystery. Before you know it your baby is sleeping in your bed, and you are carrying her around like an African villager and avoiding so many proper French foods that you may as well be doing Ramadan. Lovemaking and une vraie vie de couple becomes impossible, sending husbands running into the arms of their mistresses or gay colleagues who they can be sure will never turn into brooding sucklers." (quoted from Athaelias link can't make the quote box work) I lol'd, seriously. ETA: this comment wins! "Penises......not for urinating out of, but actually playthings for wives!"

Lol i know its hilarious ay! I was cracking up laughing reading it.

After my sister's horrific food allergies, my mum exclusively BF her next 3 kids until around 11 months so they would be a bit more resiliant by the time solids were introduced in case they had similar reactions (only one of them did). But they were all in the upper percentiles for weight and certainly not undernourished. I don't think my mum did anything particularly special with her diet, but I guess we ate pretty healthy as a family.

So it can be done, but you'd certainly want to reconsider if the baby was getting sick and losing weight!

I don't think it shows that extended exclusive BF is bad for the baby - but extended exclusive BF when you don't maintain the correct nutrition can be harmful, especially when combined with a lack of medical care (through the parents actions).

idiots!!!!!!