Ruminations

Sound Nutrition Mandated for Good Health

"We must explain to the parents before compelling them, but we can no longer tolerate this endangerment."
"We are talking here about stunted growth and psychomotor delays, under-nutrition, significant anaemia. Some developments must be done at a specific time in life and if they are not done, it is irreversible."
"When we are children, the body manufactures among other things brain cells. That brings with it a major requirement for proteins and essential fatty acids. The body itself does not produce these, they have to be taken in from animal proteins. We are speaking here of retarded growth in height and weight, as well as retarded psycho-motor development, malnutrition an severe anaemia. Some developments have to take place at a precise moment of life. Otherwise, the delay is irreversible. It is not recommended, and may even be forbidden, to submit a child, in particular during periods of rapid growth, to a potentially destabilizing diet."
Professor Georges Casimir, Queen Fabiola Children's Hospital

"What a load of ignorant codswallop! A well-planned vegan diet is perfect for babies and children."
"But as with any dietary regime, it's the parents' responsibility to ensure their child is getting all the necessary nutrients."
Dawn Carr, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

"It's possible to provide all the nutrients needed for growth and development without animal products."
"[It is] recognized that well-planned vegan diets can support healthy living in people of all ages, including infants, children, teenagers and pregnant and breastfeeding women."
Heather Russell, dietitian, The Vegan Society

"[The demise of 7-month-old baby Lucas was] the result of the systematic offer of food that was not suitable."
"[Because of that imposed diet], his health was seriously impeded and he eventually died [three years ago, weighing only 4.3 kilograms (9.5 pounds), barely 1 kilogram [2.2 pounds] more in weight than when he was born]."
"It is clear that the defendants have already been severely punished because they need to proceed with life in the knowledge that they are responsible for the death of their son, who they truly loved."
Judge Mieke Butstraen, Belgian court, June 2017

Professor Casimir was instrumental in leading the commission responsible for writing a report issued by the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium. It has the recognized authority of a legal opinion. And that legal opinion reached through a collaboration of medical and scientific professionals could very much influence future court judgements in Belgium where a number of deaths have occurred in schools, nurseries and hospitals, all traced to the fact that Belgian parents are placing their children on vegan diets.

The couple in Beveren, convicted of withholding a nutritious diet from their baby who died of malnutrition and dehydration, fed the infant vegetable 'milk' exclusively. Because the judge considered that the loss of their youngest child entirely the result of their choice of nutrition for him represented punishment sufficient unto itself, they were given a six-month suspended sentence. The seven-month-old's vital organs were considerably smaller than they should have been, with no fat surrounding them.

Estimates of the number of children in Belgium affected by their parents' decision to feed them a strictly vegan diet run to three percent. And because there has been a rash of infant and child deaths linked to the vegan diet, doctors in Belgium now call for prosecution of parents who persist in withholding a more normal diet from their children. According to the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium the legal opinion they have produced states it to be unethical to subject children to veganism.

A vegan diet is exclusive of animal proteins and vital amino acids required by growing children to aid in their development, and in the prevention of health problems. Should such a diet be complemented with medical supervision, blood tests and vitamin supplements, the diet could be made child-safe. But the opinion points out that most parents are not qualified to ensure that these provisions are seen to. The parents of the 7-month-old who died operated a vegan provisions shop and were obviously committed to veganism.

A Belgian official responsible for child protection initiated the study that resulted in the professional opinion. Bernard De Vos, in view of hospitals in Belgium reporting a growth in the number of children reporting with a range of ailments after being fed a vegan diet, felt the situation required a deep analysis and turned to the professional pediatric group for an opinion, feeling it incumbent upon himself to make that request as the country's children's rights commissioner.

A Belgian law dating to 1961 holds that no one can be convicted of "non-assistance to a person in danger", a crime carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison along with fines, if they are unaware they are placing someone in danger even though the recently issued legal opinion makes it common knowledge of the potentially lethal effects of a vegan diet.

In other words, a public education campaign is required to ensure that all parents are aware of the situation, to refrain from placing their children in danger through an inappropriate diet.