Severe Nutritional Deficiencies Resulting From Health Food Milk Alternatives 5-

November 13, 2001

Severe Nutritional Deficiencies Resulting From Health Food Milk Alternatives

5/16/01

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Severe Nutritional Deficiencies Resulting From Health Food Milk

Alternatives 5-

Severe Nutritional Deficiencies Resulting From Health Food Milk Alternatives

It is widely appreciated that health food beverages are not appropriate for

infants. Because of continued growth, children beyond infancy remain

susceptible to nutritional disorders. This study reports on 2 cases of

severe nutritional deficiency caused by consumption of health food

beverages.

Because of a history of chronic eczema and perceived milk intolerance, one

child was started on a rice beverage after weaning. The fluid was referred

to as " rice milk, " and was extremely low in protein content and the child

developed kwashiorkor (protein calorie malnutrition).

Children in industrialized countries have developed kwashiorkor resulting

from the use of a nondairy creamer as a milk alternative, but this is the

first report of kwashiorkor caused by a health food milk alternative.

Another report is of a 17-month-old black male child who was diagnosed with

rickets. He was full-term at birth and was breastfed until 10 months of age,

when he was weaned to a soy health food beverage, which was not fortified

with vitamin D or calcium. Intake of solid foods was good, but included no

animal products.

Dietary vitamin D intake was essentially absent because of the lack of

vitamin D-fortified milk. The patient lived in a sunny, warm climate, but

because of parental career demands, he had limited sun exposure. His dark

complexion further reduced ultraviolet light-induced endogenous skin

synthesis of vitamin D.

Pediatrics Vol. 107 No. 4 April 2001, E46

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