X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Vegan two-year-old rushed to the hospital severely malnourished

12 Jul, 2016
Vegan two-year-old rushed to the hospital severely malnourished

Although considered safe, vegan diets in children can cause Vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to permanent brain damage.

In Italy, a two-year-old girl spent a few days in the intensive care unit after suffering from vitamin deficiencies and other complications believed to be brought on by her parents’ strict vegan lifestyle.

According to The Local, Chiara (not her real name) was in a serious condition when she was rushed to Istituto Giannina Gaslini, a pediatric hospital in Genoa.

In a later report by The Washington Post, it said that the baby was found to be severely malnourished, suffering from dangerously low calcium levels.

“Complicating matters, the baby had to undergo an emergency operation because of a congenital heart condition, which was aggravated by his low calcium levels,” it said.

Chiara also weighed significantly less than the average for children her age, according to the local edition of La Repubblica.

“Chiara’s health problems are thought to be linked to her vegan diet,” said The Local report.

“Her parents have both been vegans for several years and the child was breastfed by her mother before being raised on the same diet, avoiding both meat and products with animal origins.”

Because of this, Chiara is also being checked for any genetic diseases which may have contributed to her illness.

Thankfully, after spending several days in the intensive care unit, the girl is reportedly recovering and was recently moved to the convalescence ward.

Local social services have been notified of the girl’s incident. Despite her parents not being treated as suspects for mistreatment, restrictive diets can fall into the category of “neglect.”

Although considered safe and relatively harmless even on children, vegan diets can cause Vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to permanent brain damage.

For Luca Bernardo, director of paediatrics at the hospital where Chiara was treated, he was careful not to take any sides on the matter of vegan diets.

Partner Stories
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort

“It is not a problem to choose different or unusual kinds of nutrition, and we certainly do not want to enter into a discussion of the merits of the decision,” he said in a Daily Telegraph report. “But since birth, the baby should have had support in this case with calcium and iron.”

On the other hand, an article in the Spectator argued that veganism doesn’t harm children, but neglectful parenting does.  In fact, when done right, veganism can give children plenty nutrients they need in order to grow healthy, it said.

Meanwhile, Liguria’s Association of Paediatrics encourages parents who are raising vegan children to make sure that their children undergo regular health checks carried out by medical professionals, who can prescribe vitamin supplements.

This case marks the third incident in Italy of a child being brought to the hospital for a serious condition caused by their diet.

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Vanessa

  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • Vegan two-year-old rushed to the hospital severely malnourished
Share:
  • 11-month-old left severely malnourished after strict vegan diet

    11-month-old left severely malnourished after strict vegan diet

  • PETA Asia's Vice President Of International Campaigns Opts For A Vegan Diet For His Son

    PETA Asia's Vice President Of International Campaigns Opts For A Vegan Diet For His Son

  • Xiang Yun and Edmund Chen Were Forced to Reveal Marriage When They Saw Media Waiting for Them at Rom

    Xiang Yun and Edmund Chen Were Forced to Reveal Marriage When They Saw Media Waiting for Them at Rom

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • 11-month-old left severely malnourished after strict vegan diet

    11-month-old left severely malnourished after strict vegan diet

  • PETA Asia's Vice President Of International Campaigns Opts For A Vegan Diet For His Son

    PETA Asia's Vice President Of International Campaigns Opts For A Vegan Diet For His Son

  • Xiang Yun and Edmund Chen Were Forced to Reveal Marriage When They Saw Media Waiting for Them at Rom

    Xiang Yun and Edmund Chen Were Forced to Reveal Marriage When They Saw Media Waiting for Them at Rom

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.