Vegan Mother Charged With Endangerment For Feeding 11-Month Old Baby Only Berries And Nuts Leading To Malnutrition

| |

Vegan Mother Charged With Endangerment For Feeding 11-Month Old Baby Only Berries And Nuts Leading To Malnutrition

October 8. 2016

Elizabeth Hawk

30-year-old, Elizabeth Hawk, has been arrested in Farmington, Pennsylvania, for child endangerment. Hawk has been charged with a misdemeanor. Hawk is a vegan who only fed her 11-month-old baby berries and nuts. Hawk's baby boy was covered in a rash from head to toe.

Hawk's estranged husband, Jerry Hawk, took the baby to Fayette County Children and Youth Services for assistance, as the infant was suffering from malnutrition, due to being fed a poor diet. The baby is suffering from developmental impairments, such as the inability to crawl or use his hands. This is irresponsibility parenting and not a model to be emulated. Hawk is an extreme vegan who sought to live off, "Sunlight and water."

It is crucial that pregnant women receive the proper nutrition and have safe, stress free pregnancies, with the goal of delivering healthy babies. It is also imperative that once babies are born infants receive the proper nutrition. Malnutrition negatively impacts physical growth, emotional development, weakens the immune system and diminishes the child's IQ.

Nursing a baby via feeding the infant breast milk for the first 6-months of life is ideal. Breast milk is the best. Once children are able to eat solid food, steaming fresh vegetables such as diced carrots, green peas (among others) and pairing it with small servings of baked (or boiled), diced chicken breast are a good source of nutrition (as well as small servings of fresh fruit). Don't feed babies and toddlers junk food.

Vegans can substitute chicken with properly cooked beans (black beans, butter beans/lima beans). I don't think children should be given tofu. I don't even think it is great for adults. Parents should also be careful feeding babies and toddlers nuts, as they may have an allergy and it could also present a choking hazard.

STORY SOURCE

Pa. woman fed baby nuts, berries; charged with endangerment

Updated: October 6, 2016 — 7:23 PM EDT - A Pennsylvania mother, who family members say was vegan obsessed, was charged with child endangerment after allegedly feeding her infant son only small amounts of nuts and berries, causing him to be malnourished, news reports said. Court records indicate that Elizabeth Scarlett Hawk, 30, of Farmington, Fayette County, in the southwestern part of the state, was charged Tuesday with the misdemeanor count...

http://www.philly.com

Infant and toddler health

Solid foods are a big step for a baby. Find out when and how to make the transition from breast milk or formula to solid foods. Giving your baby his or her first taste of solid food is a major milestone. Here's what you need to know before your baby takes that first bite. Is your baby ready for solid foods?

Breast milk or formula is the only food your newborn needs, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months after birth. But by ages 4 months to 6 months, most babies are ready to begin eating solid foods as a complement to breast-feeding or formula-feeding. It's during this time that babies typically stop using their tongues to push food out of their mouths and begin to develop the coordination to move solid food from the front of the mouth to the back for swallowing.

In addition to age, look for other signs that your baby is ready for solid foods. For example:

Can your baby hold his or her head in a steady, upright position?
Can your baby sit with support?
Is your baby mouthing his or her hands or toys?
Is your baby interested in what you're eating?

If you answer yes to these questions and your baby's doctor agrees, you can begin supplementing your baby's liquid diet.
What to serve when

Continue feeding your baby breast milk or formula — up to 32 ounces a day. Then:

Start simple. Offer single-ingredient foods that contain no sugar or salt, and wait three to five days between each new food. This way if your baby has a reaction — such as diarrhea, rash or vomiting — you'll know the cause. After introducing single-ingredient foods, you can offer them in combination.
Important nutrients. Iron and zinc are important nutrients in the second half of your baby's first year. These nutrients are found in pureed meats and single-grain, iron-fortified cereal. Beans, lentils or other culturally acceptable foods might also be appropriate.

Baby cereal basics. Mix 1 tablespoon of a single-grain, iron-fortified baby cereal with 4 tablespoons (60 milliliters) of breast milk or formula. Don't serve it from a bottle. Instead, help your baby sit upright and offer the cereal with a small spoon once or twice a day. Serve one or two teaspoons after a bottle- or breast-feeding. Once your baby gets the hang of swallowing runny cereal, mix it with less liquid and gradually increase the amount you offer. Offer a variety of single-grain cereals such as rice, oatmeal or barley. Avoid offering only rice cereal due to possible exposure to arsenic.

Add vegetables and fruits. Continue gradually introducing single-ingredient foods that contain no sugar or salt. Start with pureed vegetables and then offer fruits. Wait three to five days between each new food. Offer finely chopped finger foods. By ages 8 months to 10 months, most babies can handle small portions of finely chopped finger foods, such as soft fruits, vegetables, pasta, cheese, well-cooked meat, baby crackers and dry cereal. As your baby approaches age 1, offer your baby three meals a day — as well as snacks — with mashed or chopped versions of whatever you're eating...

http://www.mayoclinic.org