A 33-year-old strict vegan mum has been arrested has been arrested and charged with child endangerment for allegedly feeding her baby only nuts and berries.
According to court records, authorities were alerted by Elizabeth Hawks’ estranged partner, the baby’s father, Jerry Hawk, 44, who was concerned about this son’s health after the baby broke out in a severe full-body rash.
Court records, obtained by People magazine, say the Pennsylvania mum had “become obsessed” with a vegan diet and would not allow the child to eat anything other than small amounts of fruits and nuts
The rash, which “became so bad that the child was scratching [his] skin off in places,” had become worse in part because the child was malnourished, the baby’s dad alleged to child welfare officials.
He also told child welfare officials that the baby’s mum had been given a topical cream to treat the rash, “but refuses to use it,” it says in the court records.
A hospital paediatrician who examined the child said the mother’s alleged neglect of the rash was “inhumane” because of the level of discomfort it was causing, the court records state. The pediatrician added that the rash put the child at risk for septic shock.
The records also said the baby “cannot crawl as a result of the malnourishment,” which had left him developmentally delayed.
Ms Hawk was charged with endangering the welfare of the baby for allegedly not feeding the child properly over the course of several months and for failing to apply the prescribed skin ointments for the rash, according to the records.
Is a vegan diet safe for babies?
While there have been some highly publicised incidents involving babies and children on vegan diets, this does not mean veganism is not safe.
The general nutritionist consensus is that children can be raised on a vegan diet – and be healthy – but it is difficult to do, and it requires really good knowledge and a lot of hard work on the part of the parents.
Parents need to be well informed and ideally have the support of a accredited practising dietitian to help them ensure their child’s diet has all the necessary nutrients at the right levels.
