icnmgrjill
07-06-2007, 11:54 AM
Folks,
This has been a big story on our local talk radio shows in the past few weeks. I'm not sure if you heard about the two VEGAN parents who, sadly, lost their six week old infant to malnutrition after they refused to breast feed the child. VEGANS refuse to consume all animal products and, in this parents belief system, breastmilk was "animal" based. They fed the infant only soy milk and apple juice, apparently not seeking medical care. The child perished, the parents were charged with murder and are now serving life sentences.
There have been many responses... most people wondering how anyone could assume that breastmilk was bad for a child when, in fact, nature makes it specifically to support newborns across the animal world. Others have said that the parents had every right to follow their belief system. Most wonder why, at the first signs of illness, the child did not receive medical care. According to a doctor, the signs of malnutrition would have been obvious and this could have been prevented.
In any case, in the spirit of caring for all children, new parents to be may find the following helpful! The FDA is now offering a free educational kit that nurses, midwives and other educators can use to make presentations on food safety for pregnant women. The kit contains an Educator's Resource Guide with background and facts on food safety, reproducible handouts and a 20-minute video. The materials can be found on a special FDA web site, along with a printable poster that can be displayed in your institution and a set of PowerPoint slides for your presentation. All of these materials are available in both English and Spanish.
Pregnant patients can be referred to the web site for more food safety tips. Among the topics covered are food borne risks, including Listeria, methylmercury and toxoplasma, as well as the four key steps needed to prevent food borne illnesses. The kit can also be obtained by calling FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
Additional Information:
FDA/CFSAN Video. Food Safety for Moms-To-Be.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~pregnant/vlwhmtb.html
FDA/CFSAN. Food Safety for Moms-To-Be: Educator Tools.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~pregnant/tools.html
This has been a big story on our local talk radio shows in the past few weeks. I'm not sure if you heard about the two VEGAN parents who, sadly, lost their six week old infant to malnutrition after they refused to breast feed the child. VEGANS refuse to consume all animal products and, in this parents belief system, breastmilk was "animal" based. They fed the infant only soy milk and apple juice, apparently not seeking medical care. The child perished, the parents were charged with murder and are now serving life sentences.
There have been many responses... most people wondering how anyone could assume that breastmilk was bad for a child when, in fact, nature makes it specifically to support newborns across the animal world. Others have said that the parents had every right to follow their belief system. Most wonder why, at the first signs of illness, the child did not receive medical care. According to a doctor, the signs of malnutrition would have been obvious and this could have been prevented.
In any case, in the spirit of caring for all children, new parents to be may find the following helpful! The FDA is now offering a free educational kit that nurses, midwives and other educators can use to make presentations on food safety for pregnant women. The kit contains an Educator's Resource Guide with background and facts on food safety, reproducible handouts and a 20-minute video. The materials can be found on a special FDA web site, along with a printable poster that can be displayed in your institution and a set of PowerPoint slides for your presentation. All of these materials are available in both English and Spanish.
Pregnant patients can be referred to the web site for more food safety tips. Among the topics covered are food borne risks, including Listeria, methylmercury and toxoplasma, as well as the four key steps needed to prevent food borne illnesses. The kit can also be obtained by calling FDA at 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
Additional Information:
FDA/CFSAN Video. Food Safety for Moms-To-Be.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~pregnant/vlwhmtb.html
FDA/CFSAN. Food Safety for Moms-To-Be: Educator Tools.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~pregnant/tools.html