A NSW naturopath has appeared at Fairfeild local court accused of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to an eight-month-old baby and failing to provide for a child.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Marilyn Pauline Bodnar, who runs the Health and Vitality Center, convinced the baby’s mother (who can not be identified) that the only way to cure him of eczema was to adopt a diet of raw vegetables, fruit and seeds.
Bodnar allegedly told the mother “Are you 100 per cent raw? You have to be 100 per cent raw if you want to see your son heal.”
Police allege that when the baby developed a fever Bodnar told the mother that her baby wouldn’t get better unless she adopted a water only diet.
Bodner is also accused of telling the mother to feed her baby goats milk. When the baby vomitted up the milk Bodnar told the mother it was good because it would eliminate the toxins that caused eczema.
After a week of vomiting the mother took the baby to a doctor who advised her to go straight to hospital.
The baby was admitted to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead where he weighed in ay 6.39kg, putting him the the zero percentile for baby boys his age.
The court heard that before the mother started the diet the baby had been developing normally.
The baby’s mother has also been charged and the baby has been removed from her care.
The case will continue on March 23.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
