Mmmmm....
Posted on 05/12/2005 9:34:27 AM PDT by HungarianGypsy
A Scottsdale couple have been charged with child abuse after their three children, who police said were put on a type of vegan diet, were found malnourished and severely underweight.
The couple’s 3-year-old daughter weighed 12 pounds when she was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital last month after apparently having a seizure, said Scottsdale detective Sam Bailey. All three children remained hospitalized Wednesday, Bailey said.
The parents, Blair Parker, 34, and Kimu Parker, 35, were arrested April 28, and on Wednesday were each being held on $90,000 bail in a Maricopa County jail.
The Parkers were charged by a direct complaint from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, according to court records. Bill FitzGerald, spokesman for the office, said the case is expected to go before a grand jury for possible indictment.
Police said that after Blair Parker took his youngest girl to the hospital, a social worker contacted police.
At the couple’s home in the 300 block of North Miller Road, police found the two other emaciated children. The 9-year-old boy weighed 29 pounds and stood at 3 feet 4 inches tall, while the 11-year-old girl was 3 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 36.5 pounds, a police report said.
Police said the Parkers’ house was immaculate, "organized" and "free of clutter." The refrigerator was stocked with fresh vegetables, roots and mixed grains.
Both older children, who were home-schooled, were well-spoken and welleducated for their ages, though officers thought the children looked young for their ages, the report said.
Dr. Janice Piatt, a pediatrician at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, later told police, "I have never seen such stunting before except maybe in Africa. It was beyond severe malnutrition."
Yet Bailey said the couple "weren’t consciously starving their kids."
He noted that the children’s mother also was thin — she weighed 115 pounds and was 5 foot 6 inches tall.
"She was extremely skinny but did not appear malnourished," the report said.
Blair Parker, who is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, told detectives his family was on vegan diets and don’t consume animal or dairy products.
Kimu Parker told police the family mainly eats rice, beans and vegetables. She said the two older children were small for their ages because they didn’t have "animal steroids and other products that the average person consumes."
None of the children have been vaccinated, and the family believes in holistic medicine and were in contact with a doctor in Wisconsin who would explain to them how to treat their children after diagnosing them, the report said.
The couple, who have read extensively on health issues, said the girls’ bodies don’t absorb protein and that the holistic doctor diagnosed the problem, according to the report. They supplemented the 3-year-old’s diet with a product that was supposed to help absorb the protein.
In general, vegan diets should be safe for children as long as they get the proper nutrients, two Valley nutrition specialists said.
"With regard to whether it’s appropriate for a child — there are healthy children who eat vegan all the time," said Terry Hughes of Gentle Strength Cooperative in Tempe.
Karen S. Moses, a registered dietitian at Arizona State University, said it’s possible to raise children on vegan diets successfully.
"People can be very conscientious about how they feed their children and can do a vegan diet without compromising the child’s health. It takes a lot of work. You really have to be conscientious about protein and calcium. You have to be really thinking about nutrients in a way that other people may not."
Contact Irene Hsiao by email, or phone (480)-970-2324
Raw milk cheese = YUM! I usually buy Three Sisters Sirena out of California. Now if only we could legalize the importation of Raw Brie.
Yeah as long as it's not a habit.
Where do you work, cyborg?
>>>>Why give them an early start on heart disease?
Steak gives you HEART DISEASE?
Uh, yeah.
Not my girls who are 3 and 5. They just love their steak rare, nice and red.
Heck even I don't eat steak that often! I love a good steak but really only once a month at most. Gets too expensive among other things.
All mine are under ten and their favorite is London Broil.
Glad you are not our cook.
I've heard of the Makers Diet but not read the book. I do believe in using the bible herbs and eating the way that the people ate back then. Meat was fresh and not filled with antibiotics which is why I like Ted Nugent. He looks good for his age.
Jeez. I weighed one ounce less than that AT BIRTH. Even if you object to animal products, feed the kid some damn French fries or something & she'll put on weight. These parents should be whipped with chains.
ping
Some kids like the meat and if that's what their bodies like and they don't have any problems then fine.
Even a damn glass of milk!! Or some cheese...something.
We just bought half a hog, directly from the family farmer. My buddy's wife grew up on a farm where we can get beef the same way. And venison? Mmmmmm.
But as we've both said, (organic if need be) whole fat or 2% milk is something kids just need to have.
My son (18 months) loves it.
Mmmmm....
Breastfeeding doesn't help if the mother is also lacking in essential nutrients. There have been cases of breastfed babies of vegan mothers suffering permanent brain damage as a result of this.
And the fact that they were/are homeschooled will be an issue with the governor as she feels that we need more regulation.
A real good steak not laden with hormones and antibiotics is well worth the price :-) If someone is going to eat meat, splurge. I don't know about those Ruth Chris' steaks that Hannity is always pushing but buffalo meat is supposed to be good.
We should eat what our bodies can handle. When it comes to weight problems, the BIGGEST problem is portion sizes. Instead of the 20 oz Porterhouse...get the 8 oz strip...
Wait, it just occurred to me! These parents weren't putting their goofy leftist ideals above their childrens' health. No siree! They just wanted the 3-year-old to feel the peacefulness and euphoria that naturally accompanies under-nourishment. Mr. Felos sure has taught us a lot! [/sarc]
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.