A Pennsylvania mom has been charged with child endangerment after her kid, who had been having a vegan diet, was diagnosed with malnutrition by health physicians in the state.
Elizabeth Hawk, a 33-year-old woman, living in Pennsylvania, was charged by law officers with child endangerment after her 11-month-old son was described as malnourished by health officers, after being fed a vegan diet by his mother.
Hawk’s family members had been concerned about the child’s well-being after the boy started showing signs of delayed motor skills and major rashes across his body. The boy’s father, Jerry Hawk, noticed his son’s issues and took him to medical authorities for a diagnose.
“She was going to live on water and sunlight,” said Bandy Hawk remembering her sister in law’s words, according to Fox News.
Fruits and nuts
According to family statements, Elizabeth Hawk had been leading a vegan-only diet for the past seven years, the mother of three felt really proud of her lifestyle; however, her choices endangered her son’s life.
A resident of a western Pennsylvania neighborhood Hawk shared custody of her kids with her former husband Jerry Hawk and had been imposing a vegan diet on her 11 month-old son, consisting only of fruits and nuts.
The child’s aunt, Bandy Hawk, reported the 11-month old having impaired motor skills and not being able to use his hands at all. Elizabeth’s son had also developed a severe rash on his skin and wasn’t getting the proper treatment for it.
Elizabeth blamed the rash on allergies. However, Jerry Hawk didn’t believe the allegations of his former partner and took the young boy to a Children & Youth Services located near his house in Fayette County.
Health officials in the Children & Youth Services agency found a malnourished kid and transported the young boy to a hospital in West Virginia for further care. Physicians described the boy’s health as a response to the lack of nutritious food and caused a “failure to thrive.”
Pennsylvania doctors agreed that the kid’s lack of nutrition caused the late development of his motor skills and his skin condition could have ended in a septic shock if not treated properly.
Parents can introduce their children to a full vegan and healthy diet if applied correctly, according to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), parents must give vitamin supplements (B-12) to their kid’s to keep them from malnourishment.
“For the first 4 to 6 months, breast milk should be the sole food with soy-based formula. Breastfed vegan infants may need supplements of vitamin b-12 if maternal diet is inadequate,” read the ADA report
Jerry Hawk currently has full custody of his son and according to his sister, Brandy Hawk, the kid’s condition has improved and has “turned completely around” as the Boston Globe reports.
As for Elizabeth, she is currently facing child endangerment charges and has been released on her own recognizance. A hearing to discuss the case has been set for November the 14th in Pennsylvania state.
Source: Boston Globe
This woman is mentally unstable. While vegan foods are optimal for children, no child—whether raised on a vegan diet or not—is going to be healthy if he or she doesn’t consume enough calories, or if those calories come from unbalanced foods. I hope both mom and baby get help and recover to a healthy lifestyle.