In Sweden, a one and a half year old girl is barely escape death by malnutrition. Of his parents the child was fed only vegan. A judge sentenced to a prison sentence. The reason: severe bodily injury caused by negligence.

Mother dairy, rice, fruit, and vegetables – looked like the food of the one and a half years old girl from Sweden, reported the star. Other foods are “toxic”, so the views of the father. One could live on alone of air, liquids and food are required, so the mother. The parents lived according to their own data as nomads. Dealing with your child would have brought almost to the grave.

As the small family came in February in the children’s hospital of Göteborg, Sweden, was the young girl unconscious and weighed just 6.3 kilograms. For comparison: For children in this age normal nine to fifteen pounds. Quickly, the enormous under-nutrition of the girl as well as a cerebral hemorrhage fell on the Doctors. Without medical help, the child would have died only a few hours later due to the lack of nutrition.

Vegan diet and the absence of vaccinations, parents put the life of the daughter on the game

In addition to the vegan diet, refused, the parents also to have their child vaccinated. The father, according to the girl, “sunshine, Laughter, and hugs got,” reports the "Stern".

The girl’s parents were accused of. Now the verdict: three months in prison fell in the court of Gothenburg, due to severe bodily injury. Although the sentence falls away due to the time already served stay in custody, but will have to pay the parents of their daughter, a Pain of about 5,500 euros (60.000 Swedish crowns). The question of whether the child will remain with the parents, is still unanswered.

Not the only case of malnutrition

This case is reminiscent of the fate of a 19-month-old baby from Australia. FOCUS Online reported. The parents gave oatmeal to your child only to eat potatoes, rice, Tofu, bread, peanut butter, rice milk, fruit and raisins. This strict vegan way of life also led this girl to a serious lack of nutrition.

Emaciated, and without teeth, the girl was developed in a hospital and later in a foster family. Before their arrival it had been in 19 months, never seen a doctor. The parents of a prison sentence loomed.

DGE vegan diet plan for children considers to be unsuitable

Nutrition experts suggest children to feed exclusively on vegetable-based.

In fact, there are good reasons of animal products to avert about meat scandals, factory farming, or ecological Considerations. But who wants to live vegan and still eat a balanced diet, you must be very careful to take high-quality and different kinds of food. In order to provide the body with all the important nutrients that needs to be planned diet of vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts well.

Otherwise, it may come in adults, according to the German nutrition society (DGE) “due to the lack of any kind of animal food to supply with energy, Protein, iron, Calcium, Iodine, zinc, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin), and Vitamin D”. Particularly high is the risk for nutrient deficiencies, however, in infants and children, because during the growth of many of these nutrients need. In addition, you can store the nutrients as well as adults.

The DGE holds, therefore, a vegan diet plan is totally unsuitable for babies and children, balanced diet and healthy.

Risks of a vegan child’s diet

Also Pregnant women should, if they eat vegan to take supplements. Otherwise, the risk that the child could develop neurological disorders (shortage of Vitamin B12, and Iodine), and growth disturbances (e.g., lack of proteins) was. Also the brain development (lack of long-chain fatty acids) could be negatively affected.

In addition, anemia (iron and Vitamin B12 deficiency) can be the result of a purely vegetable diet, such as the nutrition Commission of the German society for child and youth medicine (DGKJ) explains.

“The risk of nutrient deficiency is greater, the more restrictive the diet is, and the more food groups are excluded from the diet,” says Berthold Koletzko, Chairman of the DGKJ-food and nutrition Commission. “You have to remember is that children always like everything, and, for example, legumes, as a major nutrient supplier to avoid. Then the food is true offer, but the nutrient balance is still out of Balance.“

“Without proper supplementation, vegan diet, over a longer period of time regularly to a deficiency of Vitamin B,” report of the DGKJ-Doctors. And also the Omega-3 fatty acids as well as calcium, or only in small quantities, is found in plant-based foods.

Important vitamins, nutrients and minerals

Vitamin B12, the man mainly on animal products, especially eggs, seafood, and fortified milk, is essential for the physical and mental development of the child. In small quantities it is contained in fermented vegetables such as Sauerkraut or algae.

Vegans, therefore, have problems, to take these essential vitamins to the body for the division of the cells is needed. An Alternative for vegetarians and Vegans is to replace the Vitamin through fortified foods, such as soy beverages, or dietary supplements.

Long-chain fatty acids, such as Omega-3 fatty acidsin salmon and other oily fish but also in walnuts included. They are important for the development of the brain, intelligence, sense organs and nervous system of children and young people.

Mainly through fish and milk products of the human of Iodine on. Vegans and vegetarians that refrain from in your diet on fish, and could, therefore, have problems with an optimal supply of iodine. You should season with iodized salt to prevent under-supply.

Iron is much in meat, but also in many plant products in large quantities. Vegetarians and Vegans eat often of whole grain and soy products, legumes, oatmeal, tubers or vegetables, such as fennel, black salsify, lentils, or spinach. These contain a lot of iron, and the same often that you will find this mineral missing substance from meat and fish.

Alternative: Ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet

Who wants to be a kid to feed, despite the risks of a vegan, you should note the DGE said that 4 points:

• You should permanently take a Vitamin B12 Supplement and the doctor will check whether your body is sufficiently supplied with Vitamin B12.
• You should make sure that food in your diet which contain all the critical nutrients (see above).
• You can a doctor regularly to check whether you have a nutrient deficiency, for example, in terms of calcium, zinc, or Iodine, and where appropriate, supplements.
• Let a qualified nutrition experts advise.

The experts of the German society for child and adolescent medicine see more in the Ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet than in a vegan diet as an Alternative to a mixed diet, “because it can allow for a good selection in childhood and adolescence, the nutrient needs and normal growth and age appropriate development.” Ovo-lacto-vegetarians eat everything except the dead animals. Even with this diet it is however, advisable to keep an adequate iron intake is always in view.