Vegan Couple Sentenced To Life For Killing Baby

A parent here, multiple offender. Frau Doctor & I believe in breast feeding, and are avid carnivores ourselves.

1. Unless you know how to breast-feed, it is difficult to get things going, even with a coach. (Many hospitals provide them). One of our kids went for almost 5 days before figuring out how to nurse. But you can bet we had called 1 GP, 2 pediatricians, and the lactation consultant from the hospital, about how much of a drop in weight was dangerous. We fed the child sterile sugar-water (provided by the hospital) until kiddo figured out how to do things.

2. I was surprised that they were giving apple juice to a six week old. I don't think you're supposed to give even diluted fruit juices until 3 or 4 months along. Their stomachs cannot handle it---it causes diarhea.

3. Even the old neighbor ladies are counting diapers for the first couple of weeks. Everyone wants to know if you've made poo. If you are not making a diaper in 12 hours, you begin to get very nervous, that the system is shutting down. Even a mentally retarded parent can see that something is WAY WRONG. The kid doesn't even cry. Just has a "silent scream"-face.

4. Until 6 months or so, the main need a child has is FAT. Fat insulates the nerves/wiring in the brain. Without enough fat, your child will be retarded. (knowing this, why would any sane person even try to limit a baby's fat intake??? This is why they don't recommend cereal and starter foods for the first 6 months, to make sure your kid gets the fat they need for brain, eyes, and liver/kidneys. Soy is high fat; but if the baby was allergic to soy, it would just have diahrea and blow it straight out, like lactose intolerance--no nutrition from it. . . .

5. One of my children had complications from delivery, and was touch and go for the first 3 months. While only in NICU for a week, everyone who knew us was at the hospital. The pediatrician called us at home when we left. Everyone's focus was on the baby and getting it to thrive. I have to tell you, there is nothing on this planet as heart-wrenching as a sick baby.

6. I believe that humans have an instinct, a hard-wired intuition, for when a baby is sick. It causes people to get very emotional, even medical professionals, let alone new parents, about an infant's safety. These people (i wont call them parents) somehow overrode those natural feelings.

Conclusion: the only way you can starve a newborn to death is to hide the baby.

From everyone. Doctors. Grandparents. The neighbors. Even if you are not a "breeder," you can tell a starving/sick baby by looking at the bags under its eyes. The fact that no one called CPS makes me think they were HIDING what they were doing to their child.

Which makes it a planned behavior.


P.S. when our sick baby was released from the hospital, the pediatrician scheduled a check-up every friday until the baby was declared healthy. That is standard procedure. Even our healthy kids got a check-up when at 2 weeks old. What happened to that?
.

[edit on 10-5-2007 by dr_strangecraft]

Hey Dr_S - you're right. My newborn was sick as well. We had doctors appointments every single week. Sometimes multiple times a week. I don't mock the parents Vegan lifestyle, but I absolutely point a finger at them with this childs death.

This is both sad and sickening.
I do not blame the vegan lifestyle, I blame ignorance and apathy.
There are many soy based infant formulas for infants readily available. In the US there is a program called WIC, which pays for formula, and for supplemental foods for breast feeding mothers.
The only excuse is ignorance, and ignorance is no excuse.

I still point out the fact that none of you really know anything about this case, yet are eager to press the 'guilty' button. You should go into politics.

Originally posted by Shar_Chi
I still point out the fact that none of you really know anything about this case, yet are eager to press the 'guilty' button. You should go into politics.

Considering that they were found guilty by a jury, it's rather easy to push the "guilty" button.