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Home
and Family
Natural Nutrition Endangered Nursing Infant
by N. Katzin
Critical vitamin deficiencies can occur even in mother's
milk. An infant who arrived at Schneider Children's Hospital
in Petach Tikva in serious condition was diagnosed with a
severe shortage of Vitamin B-12 because his mother was a
strict vegetarian.
The three-month-old baby was admitted with severe
neurological dysfunction--involuntary movements, apathy,
drowsiness, paleness and an inability to smile like healthy
children his age. The doctors suspected severe anemia, but
after asking the 28-year-old mother a few questions they
learned she suffers from an acute Vitamin B shortage since
she has not consumed meat, poultry, fish, eggs or dairy
products for 15 years. She was unaware that her diet of
fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals and nuts could endanger
her child.
Dr. Rachel Strassberg, a senior neurologist at Schneider,
reported that the baby received vitamin injections and
returned to normal within a few days. "Fortunately the infant
arrived in time and was diagnosed immediately, so no
irreversible damage resulted. Vitamin B-12 is found in meat,
fish, dairy products and eggs, and vegetarian mothers must
take the vitamin supplements needed for the baby's
development."
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