Two devout vegans have lost custody of their 14-month-old son after he was hospitalised for malnutrition after being forced to follow their restrictive diet.
The Italian toddler weighed slightly more than the average newborn when his grandparents took him to hospital.
Tests revealed he was severely malnourished, with calcium levels only slightly above those needed for survival. His low calcium levels had also exacerbated a congenital heart condition, forcing doctors to perform emergency surgery.
“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,” Luca Bernardo, director of paediatrics at Milan hospital told The Telegraph.
“But since birth, the baby should have had support in this case with calcium and iron.”
It is believed the boy will be released into the custody of his grandparents when he is well enough to leave hospital.
Vegan diets can be safely fed to children, but they need to be properly supplements with vitamins B12, vitamin D, calcium and iron.
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