In Uniontown, Pennsylvania, a mother has been charged with child endangerment, accused of child endangerment for feeding him a vegan diet. Elizabeth Hawk  had been giving her 11 month old a diet of nuts and berries. (It is important to note that this is not enough variety in the diet for good nourishment, and a vegan diet includes much more.)

According to state police, the 30-year-old mother, resident of Farmington, became “obsessed” with the vegan diet. This prompted her estranged husband to contact Fayette County child welfare workers after the baby’s aunt, Brandy Hawk, said she noticed the boy had some physical problems and developed a severe rash that concerned her.  Reports say doctors determined in August that the baby is developmentally disabled and can’t crawl because he’s malnourished.

As for the nut portion of the diet, while many parents have been led to believe that nuts are dangerous for a baby to consume because of the risk for an allergic reaction, this belief was based on unsubstantiated Doctor opinion, and recent research has shown the opposite to be true: exposing children to nuts as early to 4 to 6 months actually lowers their allergy risk. ¹

Whatever details emerge, this strikes me as yet another case of unnecessary prosecution, and another example of how our child “welfare” system is conflict oriented rather than solution oriented.

1. Samantha Reddy, “Food Alergy Advice for Kids, Dont delay the peanuts,” Wallstreet Journal, 3-5-2013, p.D1-D2