Vegan breastfed baby taken from parents!!!

OMG! This scares the ever loving crap out of me! My mate and I are vegan! They won't take my baby away, will they???

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/818892804?ltl=1118086516

 

This is very compelling, but it is weard that there is so much on the net about it already. Are there any updates?

 

Here's a link to the webpage that tells more. Check out the before/after photos!

http://bringlovehome.com/

 

Jazz, no one is going to take your baby. I don't know all the details of this case, (no one seems to) but almost always in these cases there are other issues than those presented directly to the Attachment Parenting Community or the press. I've seen cases of kids who had FTT, and pretty bad cases, who were happily taken care of at home, with their parents. CPS rarely, if ever, gets involved in run of the mill FTT cases. Especially if the child's condition is taken seriously by the parents and treated in a manner that both the parents and the medical professionals can live with. (This may neccesitate both doctors and parents giving in a little if both are being too rigid.) The goal here is a healthy child, not making a "statement" to a doctor or hospital. (Which are usually the motivation in cases which go on and on like this.)

I don't know the real state of this child, what degree of FTT he had, (pictures can be selected to tell any story anyone wants) but I did read that he was on a severly restricted diet and the parents refused any medical care at all. In the few number of FTT or other nutritional or "neglect" cases I have been called in on, the parents simply complying with a few of the doctor's requests, are polite to the medical staff, and even just coming in for weigh checks ect, is enough to keep CPS out of the picture. When people get belligerent, or there is severe harm felt to be done to the baby, and the parents refuse to take any action, CPS gets moving.

Here's what I know about this case: The parents are 7th Day Adventists, and they, as a group, have an uneasy relationship with many Health Care Providers. Mostly because of pernanent damage and deaths in children who could have lived, or recoved with no sequelae, if treated medically. I know this particular child was brought to the hospital, by his parents, for a very high fever, and the parents refused to even let the staff give him Tylenol, or any other treatment for the dangerously high fever. Also, the child was found to be anemic, and they not only refused to treat the anemia (which can be detrimental to a baby's well being and brain development, but is VERY odd at the age of 9 months, in a healthy breastfed baby.) but refused to accept the diagnosis and left the hospital Against Medical Advice. Also the baby was NOT taken "from his mother's arms while breastfeeding" he was with his father (mother not around) when he was taken by CPS. There is also a very bizzare family dynamic in this case, that even after being read several times, makes little sense, regarding the child's mother's mother, her actions and relations to the case. Also the father made a physical threat to a CPS worker. NOT a good idea, no matter how "upset" one is! When in a situation like this, when your child is at stake, one keeps one's cool, for the benefit of the child. It isn't an opportunity to use the experience as a "teaching tool" for CPS, the motivation is getting the child home and if that takes kissing a little butt, than one does it, for the child.

Far be it from me to not give my trust to a breastfeeding family, but something in this situation makes me very uncomfortable. There is more here than the petition would like us to know. I refused to sign the petition when it was first presented to me, based on the odd way, and hystrionic language it was presented in, (I've presented things to Judges and Lawyers the last thing you want to do is to get unprofessional and hystrionic, you'll be written off immediately) and the fact that a lot of unanswered questions about just what actually occured linger. I will reserve judgement until I can get real facts, not name calling of HCP members (although I guess I can understand their anger, but they DID bring him to the ER, then refuse treatment. WHY would you do that?) and what appears to be fuzzy information given about the details of the original reason the case was turned over to CPS.

I don't know enough about this individual case to know exactly why this child was taken, but there are thousands of veg*an parents and few have any trouble with either FTT or CPS. I wouldn't worry needlessly. It also upsets me when those, like these parents, do extremely unusual things (and I am not talking about the veganism, I am talking about their hostile relationship from the start with both the Medical staff and the CPS workers, the petition, the hyperbole ect) often only serve to make the public even more wary of Attachment Parents. From what I have learned, this is NOT your average breastfeeding, attachment parenting family. And actions of parents like this only harm the Attachment cause, in the opinion of many, as they do not really represent most breastfeeding parents, yet are seen as "those nutty breastfeeding nazis" by the press and mainstream parents, who might otherwise get a more rounded, wholesome view of what Attachment really is.

Jazz, your baby will most likely be as safe as any other child.

 

wow! I work with FTT and this child doesn't fit the bill. Even if he did, they don't take the child away from it's mother!! there has to be something more to this story or else NYC child services has some ax to grind here.

 

thats toooo horible to read .....just another reason to promote a cooperative , volentary decentralized method of regulating our lives ......its anarky n mutual aid

 

Right, Mosaic, there is a lot more here than the "petition" (and internet petitions cannot even be presented in court, because actual names, signatures and verifiable addresses cannot be verified) is wanting us to hear.

 

I'm wondering if maybe they were watching this dad for other reasons. It all sounds fishy. But the poor baby!

 

Yes, I feel awful for this baby, too. I wonder what really happened. It is so sad when a child has to suffer like this.

 

My mate sent me this email after I showed him the links:

"Lessons to be learned:

Don't leave a hospital without "signing out" first
Don't let police officers search the apartment without a warrant
If a police officer wants to take the baby away tell them you wish to speak
to your lawyer first
Keep a number of a lawyer handy
Resolve all legal trouble BEFORE going on vacation
Consult a lawyer early on regarding any legal trouble
Do not resist police officers"

He didn't sign the petition. We talked about it when he got home from work and there are HUGE differences between us and them. We are very firm in our beliefs but our baby comes first in everything and if we had to give a bit to keep him safe with us, and healthy, we most certainly would. Steve said that if they had just communicated with CPS and been even a little flexible, their baby would probably be safe with them. I'm starting to think there probably IS something more to it then what we've read.

 

Well here we go. He tried to snatch the kid and go into hiding. Hmmm....

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/230417p-197746c.html

 

Yep, totally right! You are a smart thinking mama, Jazz!

 

This one has more. Now I'm not worried at all. (except for the poor, poor baby!) We eat a well planned, completely balanced nutritious vegan diet. This guy is a bit of a nut.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/230030p-197369c.html

 

Thanks Maggie! I can't wait to meet my HEALTHY vegan baby!

 

Me either! Blessings to you and your baby!

 

You know, I can respect their religious beliefs. I can respect that their diet is important to them. But diet can't cure everything. And if a little tylenol will make your baby, who you love, well, then give your baby some tylenol.


I have always had epilepsy. I can't tell you how many times people have told me that if I changed my diet the seizures would stop. That's not true. A healthy diet can improve your health. Drastically, sometimes. But it can't cure everything. It can't get rid of scar tissue on the brain.

Why wouldn't they give that poor baby tylenol? I was vegan when I was a kid, but if I hadn't gotten some medication, I surely would have died.

Being vegan is one thing, but putting their baby in danger by not allowing his fever to be controlled is quite another. Had they simply done that, given him some of the iron supplement, and found a supplement that they liked better after they left, they could have avoided this whole mess. They brought this on themselves.

 

If you really research this story online, there are so many versions of it. The one story about the baby being smashed between the father and a car and then being ripped out of the father's arms by police is only one version. Other stories tell of the baby being taken by the father from the grandmother who had legal custody. It's hard to know what story is true.

I hope this baby is okay. But I really wouldn't believe most of this story. No one takes a baby just because they are vegan. And in most cases they won't take a baby because you refuse to treat due to religious reasons. If that were the case most Christian Scientists would not have their kids.

kathi

 

Levi you make some excellent points, and Kathi, you work in the field, so you know what you are talking about.

I feel worst for this baby, with really no steady place to get comfort. I hope his foster home is a sweet one.

 

I have mentioned this before but anyone remember the case of Caleb Moorhead in New Zealand a few years ago?

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/lawrpt/stories/s595147.htm

 

An interesting article, Bilby, and a very similar case.


Here are some quotes from what those parents beleived (the child in this case, died from a vitamin B 12 deficiency)

Hmmm, the child died, they weren't stopped by the guard at the clinic and they got convicted. Has it occured to these people that maybe God wasn't on their side? IMO, the Lord helps those who help themselves. A very sad case, in any way you look at it.