Fwd: NYTimes.com Article: Authorities Say Strict Vegan Diet Endangered Life of Queens Baby

[Guest guest]

please take a few minutes to write a letter to the editor of the ny times (

letters ) to let them know that it was not a " strict vegan diet " but

a breast and soy milk-deficient diet and poor monitoring of the child's health

that endangered the life of this baby, and that, when done properly, a vegan

diet is perfectly healthy for babies and children. i've already written one, but

the ny times NEVER publishes my letters and i really want them to hear from

people about this. i don't have a (vegan) baby and have no diet-related

credentials after my name, so if you do, even better! thanks!

 

p.s. RE: calling legislators about the farm bill, which people had emailed about

last week: it dawned on me that since most legislators don't ask your name or

place of residence, not only should you call as many of the legislators as you

can, you should call them as many TIMES as you can since they won't know that

you've called before. the farm bill is so important--i almost just want it to be

decided so i can stop stressing about it!

hope you're all doing well,

nora

Authorities Say Strict Vegan Diet Endangered Life of Queens Baby

 

April 30, 2002

 

By SARAH KERSHAW

 

 

Queens couple who kept their infant daughter on a strict vegan diet, feeding her

fruit juice, herbal tea and ground nuts, has been accused of nearly starving the

baby to death, the authorities said yesterday.

A criminal investigation alleged that the couple, Joseph and Silva Swinton of

Queens Village, deprived their baby, Ice, of basic nutritional needs and never

sought proper medical attention for her. In November, when Ice was 16 months old

and was taken to a pediatric emergency room, she weighed 10 pounds, the average

weight of a 2- to 3-month-old infant, authorities said.

 

According to prosecutors, Ice, now 20 months old, had a host of physical and

developmental problems resulting from severe malnourishment, including brittle

bones, a distended stomach, weakness, difficulty moving her arms and legs and

" no ability to verbalize, other than through soft crying. " She is now in foster

care.

 

Prosecutors said the Swintons adhered to a strict vegan diet, a form of

vegetarianism in which all animal products, including dairy products and eggs,

are avoided.

 

The Swintons, both 31, pleaded not guilty at their arraignment Friday night in

State Supreme Court in Queens to charges of reckless endangerment and

endangering the welfare of a child. They were each held in $20,000 bail. Each

could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison if convicted.

 

Ms. Swinton's lawyer, Warren M. Silverman, would not answer specific questions

about the case, such as why the couple did not, as prosecutors say, feed the

baby a nondairy infant formula, like a soy-based product, which experts on vegan

diets say could have provided the baby with adequate nutrition. Prosecutors said

the baby was not fed breast milk or any kind of formula, though either is

consistent with a vegan diet and considered crucial by child nutrition experts

to infant development during the first year of life.

 

" It is their position that they cared for the child in the manner that they

thought was appropriate in accordance with their beliefs, " Mr. Silverman said.

 

Experts on vegan diets generally advise women who cannot or will not breast-feed

to give their babies soy milk formula. Infants should not generally start eating

solid foods — in conjunction with breast milk or formula — until they are at

least 4 months old, although suggested ages vary. It was unclear when the baby

was given solid foods like ground nuts and beans.

 

Prosecutors said that Ms. Swinton gave birth at home on July 31, 2000, with no

medical assistance, and that " soon thereafter, the baby was placed on a strict

vegan diet. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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