Guest guest Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 May 23, 2007 The Vegans and Their Children (6 Letters) http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/23/opinion/l23vegan.html?_r=1 & oref=slogin To the Editor: Re “Death by Veganism,” by Nina Planck (Op-Ed, May 21): I am a nutritionist who testified as an expert witness for the prosecution in the criminal trial of the parents of Crown Shakur. As the lead prosecutor in this case told the jury, this poor infant was not killed by a vegan diet. He was starved to death by parents who did not give him breast milk, soy-based infant formula or enough food of any kind. Well-planned vegan diets are healthful for pregnant mothers and their infants, as well as for older children, according to a large body of scientific research. Contrary to Ms. Planck’s assertions, there are healthy plant-based sources of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA; calcium can be absorbed about as readily from soy milk as from cow’s milk; and soy does not inhibit growth. Studies have found that vegan children are within the normal ranges for weight and height, and I personally know vegan mothers and vegan children who are healthier than many of their omnivorous peers. Amy Joy Lanou Washington, May 21, 2007 The writer is senior nutrition scientist, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.7.6/813 - Release 5/20/2007 7:54 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Thank you so much for posting this very sensible letter. It completely reflects my own feelings about this situation. I worked for Child Protective Services for 25 years and currently work in Child Abuse Prevention here in Dallas. In the 30 years that I have worked in this field, I have seen many cases of babies who were seriously malnourished, up to and including permanent brain damage and/or death, due to parental deprivation of nurturing, ignorance about proper feeding, and sometimes deliberate starvation. When I first read about this case, I was horrified. I immediately felt that there had to be much more to the case than the fact that the parents were vegans. Parental ignorance about how to properly nourish a baby probably had some part in it, but I am certain that there were other dynamics in play here, too. The parents have focused on their veganism, as if that were an excuse for letting their baby starve to death, and so the media has picked up on that and run with it. It's simply a red herring in this very tragic case. I would venture to say that most vegetarians and vegans are more aware of proper nutrition than the general public and would have become terribly alarmed if the baby were not thriving and began to lose weight and would have sought help. Regardless, I'm terribly saddened by the loss of this innocent life. Carol S. Duncan, LCSW jjpippin <jjpippin wrote: May 23, 2007The Vegans and Their Children (6 Letters)http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/23/opinion/l23vegan.html?_r=1 & oref=sloginTo the Editor:Re “Death by Veganism,” by Nina Planck (Op-Ed, May 21):I am a nutritionist who testified as an expert witness for the prosecution in the criminal trial of the parents of Crown Shakur. As the lead prosecutor in this case told the jury, this poor infant was not killed by a vegan diet. He was starved to death by parents who did not give him breast milk, soy-based infant formula or enough food of any kind.Well-planned vegan diets are healthful for pregnant mothers and their infants, as well as for older children, according to a large body of scientific research. Contrary to Ms. Planck’s assertions, there are healthy plant-based sources of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA; calcium can be absorbed about as readily from soy milk as from cow’s milk; and soy does not inhibit growth.Studies have found that vegan children are within the normal ranges for weight and height, and I personally know vegan mothers and vegan children who are healthier than many of their omnivorous peers.Amy Joy LanouWashington, May 21, 2007The writer is senior nutrition scientist, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.7.6/813 - Release 5/20/2007 7:54 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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