Did a Vegan Diet Kill This Baby?

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

“…Vegan couple whose baby died of vitamin deficiency after being fed solely on breast milk…” Uh, isn’t that what you’re supposed to feed babies? Yes, but if you’re not getting enough vitamin B12, then your baby’s not getting enough B12.

“Parents adopted lifestyle after watching TV programme about butchered cows,” and ended up generating headlines like this: “Vegans charged in death…over death…after death…neglect…neglect and death…and baby killing.” “Poll: did a vegan diet kill the baby?”

Why, yes it did. A non-B12-fortified vegan diet killed that little girl, and she’s not the first. And if vegans don’t get their act together and get their B12, she will not be the last.

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• Hinton CF, Ojodu JA, Fernhoff PM, Rasmussen SA, Scanlon KS, Hannon WH. Maternal and neonatal vitamin B12 deficiency detected through expanded newborn screening--United States, 2003-2007. J Pediatr. 2010 Jul;157(1):162-3.
• Sarafoglou K, Rodgers J, Hietala A, Matern D, Bentler K. Expanded newborn screening for detection of vitamin B12 deficiency. JAMA. 2011 Mar 23;305(12):1198-200.
• National Center for Health Statistics. U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011. Table 78. Live Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces: 1960 to 2007.
• Gilsing AM, Crowe FL, Lloyd-Wright Z, Sanders TA, Appleby PN, Allen NE, Key TJ. Serum concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate in British male omnivores, vegetarians and vegans: results from a cross-sectional analysis of the EPIC-Oxford cohort study.Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Sep;64(9):933-9.

Images thanks to Leonard John Matthew and Georges Charrières via flickr

• breast milk
• breastfeeding
• infants
• nutrition myths
• Plant-Based Diets
• pregnancy
• prenatal vitamins
• supplements
• vitamin B12
• women's health