Mom Faces Criminal Charges Because Officials Think Being

[xdivision_whitey]

A Vegan Endangers Her Baby

Eating less meat can do good things for your health and the environment. But for Sarah Markham, a mother in Seminole County, Fla., refusing to feed her baby formula that she believed contained animal by-products has had dire consequences. She was arrested, lost custody of her son for several months, and faces charges of child neglect.





Markham's ordeal began in June when she took her son Caleb to a pediatrician for a checkup. The new mother was breast-feeding, but the baby, who was 12 days old, had lost 10 percent of his birth weight. As a result, the doctor told Markham to take the infant to the hospital. He also prescribed formula as a supplement.

Markham ignored those instructions and instead chose to go buy organic soy formula and head home. Once the doctor discovered that she hadn’t taken Caleb to the hospital, the police were sent to Markham’s house. The mom was arrested and charged, and Caleb was taken into protective custody. Caleb was later placed with his grandparents, who live outside the county, which meant that the vegan mother was only able to see her son during supervised visits once or twice a week.

To prove that she wasn’t a danger to her child, Markham has had to undergo a mental health evaluation, parenting classes, and drug testing—which seems like a pretty drastic response to a mom wanting to ensure that her baby was fed a vegan formula. Will we see parents in Seminole County being arrested if their kids are overweight or obese next?

On Wednesday a local judge reunited the baby and his mom and dismissed the Seminole County Child Protective Services’ claim that Markham is an unfit mother. However, the criminal charges haven't been thrown out.

"There's no case, there's no abuse, there's no neglect, there's simply a doctor who has been challenged by a mother and he didn't like it," Bo Markham, Caleb's grandfather, told WFTV.com about the situation.

Caleb now weighs a healthy 17 pounds, and despite not having been living with his vegan mom all these months, he’s still not eating the animal by-product-containing formula the pediatrician prescribed.

“He's still on a soy formula,” Markham told WFTV.com. “He's been on it, he likes it, he's doing well. He's growing healthy and I can't ask for anything more."


New doctor

[Gma Wolf]

Doctors are not GOD!

[Texadar]

Gma Wolf

Doctors are not GOD!

Given her vegan diet was killing her child

ignoring instructions what boil down too "Do this or your baby dies" is not a smart idea.

Also if her commitment to veganism takes precedent over her child wellbeing she should never be allowed to have a child in the first place.

[Old Blue Collar Joe]

Texadar

Gma Wolf

Doctors are not GOD!

Given her vegan diet was killing her child

ignoring instructions what boil down too "Do this or your baby dies" is not a smart idea.

Also if her commitment to veganism takes precedent over her child wellbeing she should never be allowed to have a child in the first place.

Let me start by stating the woman is a ******** moron. Batshit stupid and crazy to ignore the reality that we are omnivores, not herbivores nor carnivores, and that a mixed diet is best.
Now, on to what was said and done: She didn't completely ignore the doctor. She put the baby on a soy formula, which, while still not the best thing for him, is better than being malnourished.
They went way beyond what should have been done.
As long as the kid is healthy now? All is well.

[Nyadriel]

You guys guys are idiots. Seriously. What do you and that doctor know?


My own son was losing weight during his first two weeks. He was colicky and therefore wasn't getting what he should. The Pediatrician I had was an actual good doctor and said to put my kid on a formula as a supplement (not replacement). Never said to take my kid to the hospital either. Just needed a supplement.
Veganism does not really hurt a child as long as they are getting enough food and enough necessary nutrients. A mistake some parents make in not realizing babies need fat too. This is the crux of the problem with babies who do not have enough fat on them to begin with and not getting any in their diet. I dunno what is in the formula the kid was being fed on. But since the kid is doing a whole lot better on it... obviously there was (maybe still) an underlying problem with the child that the doctor was too lazy to find.
As I said, my kid was colicky. As in very gassy.

[Bokee Gngr]

Texadar

Gma Wolf

Doctors are not GOD!

Given her vegan diet was killing her child

ignoring instructions what boil down too "Do this or your baby dies" is not a smart idea.

Also if her commitment to veganism takes precedent over her child wellbeing she should never be allowed to have a child in the first place.

But she WASN'T giving the baby a vegan diet so to speak when she was given the formula. She was breast feeding him (yes I know what she eats is what he does) but a lot of babies do not do well breast fed. I am VERY allergic to milk and was put on soy from week 2 on. It doesn't look to me that she ignored the orders because she DID put her child on a formula instead of the most natural substance she was feeding. The doctor wanted the child to get more protein and she provided that through soy. To me, her only mistake was not following through and take the child to the hospital and perhaps she should have been upfront with the doctor and said "He needs more protein, can I not switch him to a high protein soy formula instead?"

[Blood Valkyrie]

Why would it bother her that the doctor wanted the baby to have a certain formula that might not conform to vegan standards?

The baby is not a vegan. The baby is a baby. I personally feel that just because you have a beef with beef and other animal products doesn't mean your children have beefs with them.

I think there was an overreaction by the law, though. I think just a little counseling would have been fine.

[Valiant Corvus]

I'm not sure what to think of this honestly.

On one side, if the baby was healthy and had no visible signs of neglect, then what's the ******** problem?

On the other side, I don't really like the idea of forcing Veganism on a child who has no say in the matter; because, let's face it, being vegan is more of a political standpoint rather than a natural state of being. Our bodies were built to be omnivorous, and based off the Vegans I know personally and what I've read, you have to set a fairly particular diet in order to make up for the lack of vitamins and proteins that would have been easily sustained by meat consumption.

But, again, if the child is healthy then what's the problem?

[Omnileech]

1) Mother not feeding her child correctly and it is losing a dangerous amount of weight and if not corrected, will see to the child's death.
2) Mother takes child to the doctor, the doctor makes a prescription for the child.
3) The mother ignores everything the doctor said and decides to self-medicate the child.

Why is anyone shocked or surprised that child protective services is looking after the best interest of the child? Only sensationalist hacks would report it as being anti-vegan or spread misinformation on forums in the hopes of stirring up s**t.

[Faustine Liem]

I see the problem. Woman decided to ignore doctors orders to go to the hospital, since the baby could have been suffering FROM A ACTUAL DISEASE, and she ignored that possibility, and thus the pediatrician took measures to make sure the child's safety was.... you know SAFE. Since the kid, could have been SICK, and pediatricians usually don't have all the equipment, and testing supplies for testing.
So I agree with the pediatrician here. She should have taken her kids to the hospital, instead of just doing NOTHING. Also, soy based formula's all contain B12, a protein we need to function which is only found in MEAT in any quantity worth mentioning. Sooo.... sorry to say vegans. You can't take your B12 supplements cause all of them contain animal byproducts... technically. So suffer with depression! *waves*

Actually this reminds me of the couple who nearly killed their cat because they were vegans and wanted their animal to be a vegan.

[Ms Jezebel Spirit]

I feel like she could have avoided this all by communicating more with the doctor. Discuss with the doctor that you want to use soy-based formula instead of milk-based. She should have went to the hospital so that they could confirm that the failure to thrive was not due to an underlying disease. The health of her child should come before her beliefs. I wanted to breastfeed badly, but my son wasn't taking to it despite multiple nurses guiding me and was losing weight. I put my pride and my desire to breastfeed behind me and started formula because I wasn't going to let my son starve.

[Ms Jezebel Spirit]

Faustine Liem

Actually this reminds me of the couple who nearly killed their cat because they were vegans and wanted their animal to be a vegan.

That makes me so mad when I hear stories like that. Cats are obligate carnivores and cannot thrive on a vegetarian or vegan diet.
There was another vegan couple whose baby died because they were only feeding him apple juice and soy milk. They are serving life in prison now.

[Love Muffin88]

Blood Valkyrie

Why would it bother her that the doctor wanted the baby to have a certain formula that might not conform to vegan standards?

The baby is not a vegan. The baby is a baby. I personally feel that just because you have a beef with beef and other animal products doesn't mean your children have beefs with them.

I think there was an overreaction by the law, though. I think just a little counseling would have been fine.

My sister-in-law has a beef with beef, and doesn't allow my 2 yr old niece to eat meat. She says that when she's old enough to know of the horrible conditions that animals go through to get to your plate, and still decides that she wants to eat meat, then she can eat meat. Until then no meat. I think that's stupid. I'm going to take the opposite approach with my child. If no like meat-no eat meat.

[Texadar]

Valiant Corvus

But, again, if the child is healthy then what's the problem?

If you read the link in the source Red flags start to appear

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/casselberry-mom-refused-to-take-child-to-hospital-over-vegan-beliefs/26657244

Quote:

According to Casselberry police, a pediatrician told Markham that her baby needed to be admitted to Florida Hospital South for treatment because the child was dehydrated and was losing weight.

Markham, however, went home and would not answer when officers knocked at her door.

Police used a locksmith to enter the apartment and interviewed Markham, who said she wanted to get a second opinion about her child, according to a police report.

Police said Markham told them that she wanted to pursue a religious-based treatment and did not believe that her baby was dehydrated because the child was having bowel movements.

Markham said she had contacted a "natural" or "vegan" doctor but was unable to provide any information about him, other than a name.

Markham said she did not give the formula/medicine that the doctor provided because she did not agree with the ingredients, which she said came from animals, the police report stated.

Markham said she purchased organic soy formula, and when asked if she confirmed with a doctor if it was safe for a newborn, she said that if Whole Foods Market sells it then the formula doesn't contain any animal parts and, therefore, must be safe, according to police.

She then said she would take the child to Florida Hospital South but only because she was being forced to, according to authorities. About an hour later, however, she was still at home and was placed under arrest.

While en route to jail, according to police, Markham had a carefree attitude, even though she was told that she was not going to be allowed to see her child until a court hearing.

The baby was taken to Florida Hospital South for treatment and was placed into state custody.

Markham later bonded out of jail.

[TANRailgun]

Nyadriel

You guys guys are idiots. Seriously. What do you and that doctor know?

Well the doctor most likely has a bachelors degree, plus 4 years of medical school, then his residency of 3-4 years, during which he learned his specialty (presumably pediatrics), plus however long he's been working since he finished up his residency....so 11-12 years of higher education in the field plus his career experience. He probably knows quite a bit on the subject, certainly more than you and this mother, probably more than both of you combined.

and anecdotes aren't arguments...alliteration.