Essentially the mother was so vitamin deficient that she couldn't produce milk that would sustain her child.
Here's another account:
"...He said they also have a 13-year-old daughter who has never suffered any serious health problems.
"Mr Daquo said both Mr and Mrs Le Moaligou were also opposed to traditional medicines, and used alternative therapies instead.
"Mr Daquo said: ‘The couple did not follow doctor’s advice to take their baby to hospital when she was suffering from bronchitis and was losing weight when they went for the nine-month check-up.
"‘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.’
"Mr Le Moaligou’s lawyer, Patrick Quenel, said the couple remained committed vegans and were ‘wholly aware of the mistake they made’, but pleaded not guilty.
"The Le Moaligous were formally charged with ‘neglect and food deprivation followed by death’ which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.
"The Le Moaligou case is believed to be the first time that a couple have faced a prison sentence for a crime directly linked to a vegan lifestyle.
"It will rekindle the fierce debate about the health benefits of veganism – a term first coined by Englishman Donald Watson, who founded the Vegan Society in 1944..."
Well it should. I will note however that vitamin B12 deficiency is a well-known shortcoming of a vegan diet. These two were grossly negligent to not supplement B12, in my opinion.
See here for Chris Masterjohn's excellent article on the nutrional deficits of a vegetarian/vegan diet.
Or see here for Richard Nikoley's take, titled, appropriately: "Stop the Madness: Vegans Keep Killing Their Kids."
P.S. I'm not a fan of a vegan diet, I don't think it's optimally healthy in the long-term, but this is not the expected outcome for a kid on that diet.. There were some other vegans who killed their kid by only feeding it apple juice. Feeding *anyone* only apple juice is going to kill them.
This is a from a similar case from Arizona, where luckily the kids survived:
"'Vegan children who are fed properly grow,' said Deputy County Attorney Frankie Grimsman.
"And in fact, when the children were placed in foster homes, they immediately began to gain weight - while still maintaining vegan diets."
Vegans have pretty typical patterns of malnutrition, but you can survive on this diet.
You can thrive on this diet, as numerous studies have shown less risk of cancer, heart disease etc. by following a well rounded vegan diet. Veganism isn't new and is very healthy, the few cases of vegan malnoutrition pale in comparison to the far greater epidemic of omnivore childhood obesity, omnivore adult obesity, diabetes, cancers, strokes and heart diseases. Vegans aren't dropping off like flies, so this is not a trend, in a world of billions this was bound to happen at least a few times. I feel for the baby, as well as the parents who really tried to do the best they could for their baby.
ReplyDeleteWhats next, arresting parents who had a miscarriage?
At the very least they should be arresting the parents of morbidly obese children, who know very well that their eating habits were unhealthy, and still continued to feed their children unhealthy, life endangering food. This is just anti-veganism.
ReplyDelete"You can thrive on this diet, as numerous studies have shown less risk of cancer, heart disease etc. by following a well rounded vegan diet."
ReplyDeleteThis is not true. Malnutrition is a well-recognized and common result of a vegan diet.
"Veganism isn't new..."
Also not true. Vegetarianism has been around for thousands of years, but veganism has not.
"...and is very healthy,..."
See above: a diet that results in malnutrision cannot be considered healthy.
"...the few cases of vegan malnoutrition pale in comparison to the far greater epidemic of omnivore childhood obesity, omnivore adult obesity, diabetes, cancers, strokes and heart diseases."
Given that nearly all humans eat an omnivore diet for most of their lives, this is a tautology. Replace 'omnivore' for 'human' in the sentence above, and see how much sense it makes.
"...Vegans aren't dropping off like flies,..."
Vegan children seem to be. Any one who follows a vegan diet will become malnourished. After a few generations they'll likely die off. This must be why there are no vegan cultures, while there are vegetarian cultures.
"so this is not a trend, in a world of billions this was bound to happen at least a few times...."
You sound like Lenin:
'LEGEND HAS IT that in the early 1920s one of Vladimir Lenin's fellow Bolsheviks asked him to justify the growing number of atrocities they were committing in the name of a socialist future. "If you want to make an omelet," Lenin insisted, "you have to be willing to break a few eggs." To which the Bolshevik replied, "Comrade, I see the broken eggs everywhere. But where, oh where, is the omelet?"'
"...I feel for the baby, as well as the parents who really tried to do the best they could for their baby...."
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, as these parents are about to find out.
"Whats next, arresting parents who had a miscarriage?"
A miscarriage is a normal, biological process. Starving your children is not a normal biological process.
"At the very least they should be arresting the parents of morbidly obese children, who know very well that their eating habits were unhealthy, and still continued to feed their children unhealthy, life endangering food."
ReplyDeleteMost parents of morbidly obese children are likely following the USDA food pyramid, recommended by the US medical authorities.
"This is just anti-veganism."
That's exactly right.