FL- Vegan parents charged after starving their baby by switching formula

[JoeFromLB]

Vegan parents charged after starving their baby by switching from formula: police

Vegan parents in Florida allegedly starved and left their 5-month-old baby malnourished after they stopped using the doctor-advised formula and instead gave him a potato-based mash, police said.

Robert Buskey, 31, and Julia French, 20, have been accused of causing harm to the toddler and may face further charges.

The suspects were described as vegans who ignored doctor’s requests to feed the baby organic formula and instead began giving the child their own, WFTV 9 reported.

“I’ve never seen a child to this level, this close to possible death,” Detective Lauren Watson of the Titusville Police Department said.

 

[Jim_M]

From the report:

"He’s currently recovering in the hospital and has since gained back some weight, though the alleged starvation may have caused some long-term damage."

Alleged?! Oh I wish it was only alleged! At this point it's a wee bit proven, IMO!

 

[JoeFromLB]

Dad (or whatever that creature is) seems amused by the situation. Mom, on the other hand, is starting to realize what kind of trouble she's in.

 

[shadowdancer]

They must have noticed that the baby was unwell and underweight, but they still chose to put their wishes ahead of their child's well being.

 

[human]

Why was she not breast feeding?

 

[Jim_M]

Why was she not breast feeding?

I hesitate clicking 'like' on this because I am sure many will answer your logical question with more finesse than I. IMO I lol when an obvious possible solution is not explored further.

After all that, could it be health issues? Perhaps the baby cannot, or should not, be exposed to any bodily fluids?

 

[TatianaBarbie]

Dad (or whatever that creature is) seems amused by the situation. Mom, on the other hand, is starting to realize what kind of trouble she's in.

Sadly, I thought the very same thing when I watched the video. The father doesn't seem concerned about the charges.

 

[Laughing]

Why was she not breast feeding?

Best for Mom, best for Baby! By 5 months, usually other foods are added.

Soy formula, anyone???

 

[MarziPanda]

Why was she not breast feeding?

It's possible she couldn't. Some vegans (yes, not all or even most, before vegans jump down my throat) aren't very healthy and she might have been nutrient deficient to the extent that she wasn't producing milk. She may have not produced enough milk unrelated to her diet, as some women just can't breastfeed. Or she might not have thought it ethical. There's debate in the vegan community as to whether human breast milk is vegan or not. Most vegans will say it's fine, that there's no issue with breastfeeding, but some more extreme types disagree. Or she might just have not wanted to.

Poor baby. Why on earth did they think potato could sustain a baby, who needs a high fat high protein diet?

 

[Laughing]

It's possible she couldn't. Some vegans (yes, not all or even most, before vegans jump down my throat) aren't very healthy and she might have been nutrient deficient to the extent that she wasn't producing milk. She may have not produced enough milk unrelated to her diet, as some women just can't breastfeed. Or she might not have thought it ethical. There's debate in the vegan community as to whether human breast milk is vegan or not. Most vegans will say it's fine, that there's no issue with breastfeeding, but some more extreme types disagree. Or she might just have not wanted to.

Poor baby. Why on earth did they think potato could sustain a baby, who needs a high fat high protein diet?

BBM

Wait what? JMHO but that's out there!!!

Agreed, some mothers really struggle to establish breastfeeding. That's work in itself for many babies.

She may have been prescribed a drug that prevents her from breastfeeding.

Others decide that there will be less work with bottles.

At any rate, the baby may have missed out on essential fats & proteins at critical times.

YMMV

ETA -- Google is my friend:

Vegan Baby Formula: What You Need To Know

 

[claudianunes]

Wow. I mean, it's one thing when you make educated choices. But how could they not just do some research on it? Why did they not ask other doctor about alternatives. We have so much crap (no offense), and the best option for them was to feed their baby some potato stuff? So stupid.

 

[Jim_M]

Vegan parents almost starve their five-month-old son to death by switching out his doctor-prescribed formula for one 'more consistent with their lifestyle'

Interesting tidbits in this article...IMO of course.

Snip...

"While the couple is unmarried, a person familiar with the investigation told WESH that French claims to be Buskey’s concubine under 'Nazarite Hebrew' religious principles."

Snip...

"The couple allegedly ignored the type of formula that would fit with their vegan lifestyle ordered by their doctor, and instead fed him on a potato-based creation found on the internet by French."

Snip...

"During booking, Buskey appeared to contest the medical reports about his child. Both Buskey and French are currently being held in Brevard County Jail."

 

[JDG]

they should be fed only a bit of potato while in jail. See how they like it.
Shave their heads while you're at it.

 

[rosesfromangels]

"While the couple is unmarried, a person familiar with the investigation told WESH that French claims to be Buskey’s concubine under 'Nazarite Hebrew' religious principles."
"

As consenting adults, Buskey and French are free to follow whatever religious principles they so choose, as long as they aren't breaking the law or harming anyone. In this case, a non consenting infant was harmed, and therefore the law must, and did intervene. Let us pray the child will survive and recover, and be placed in a safe and stable environment.

Amateur opinion and speculation

 

[Jim_M]

As consenting adults, Buskey and French are free to follow whatever religious principles they so choose, as long as they aren't breaking the law or harming anyone. In this case, a non consenting infant was harmed, and therefore the law must, and did intervene. Let us pray the child will survive and recover, and be placed in a safe and stable environment.

Amateur opinion and speculation

1000% agree on all you stated!

 

[IceIce9]

Best for Mom, best for Baby! By 5 months, usually other foods are added.

Soy formula, anyone???

I have friends who are vegan, and they found an OBGYN who specializes in women who are vegan. My friends carefully followed the doctor ‘s diet recommendations throughout their pregnancies, delivered healthy babies, and breastfed them.

And, as you pointed out, soy is an alternative for those who cannot breastfeed.

Also, most babies start eating solid food earlier than five months.

I think there are more issues here than can be attributed to veganism. Especially considering the reactions of the father.

 

[Gracenote]

Vegan parents almost starve their five-month-old son to death by switching out his doctor-prescribed formula for one 'more consistent with their lifestyle'

Interesting tidbits in this article...IMO of course.

Snip...

"While the couple is unmarried, a person familiar with the investigation told WESH that French claims to be Buskey’s concubine under 'Nazarite Hebrew' religious principles."

Snip...

"The couple allegedly ignored the type of formula that would fit with their vegan lifestyle ordered by their doctor, and instead fed him on a potato-based creation found on the internet by French."

Snip...

"During booking, Buskey appeared to contest the medical reports about his child. Both Buskey and French are currently being held in Brevard County Jail."

Just ... oh my God.

 

[Sillybilly]

The thread is not about the pros or cons of breastfeeding.

Please just stick to discussing the case itself.

Thanks.

 

[MsMarple]

Vegan parents almost starve their five-month-old son to death by switching out his doctor-prescribed formula for one 'more consistent with their lifestyle'

Interesting tidbits in this article...IMO of course.

Snip...

"While the couple is unmarried, a person familiar with the investigation told WESH that French claims to be Buskey’s concubine under 'Nazarite Hebrew' religious principles."

Snip...

"The couple allegedly ignored the type of formula that would fit with their vegan lifestyle ordered by their doctor, and instead fed him on a potato-based creation found on the internet by French."

Snip...

"During booking, Buskey appeared to contest the medical reports about his child. Both Buskey and French are currently being held in Brevard County Jail."

Oh cripes, yet another set of parents hiding behind religion and in this case practicing a very flawed version of their choice to boot.

In a nutshell, Nazirites/Nazarites take a vow to abstain from 1) eating grapes/drinking wine, 2) cutting their hair (think Samson) and 3) touching dead bodies. It's mentioned in the Old Testament and also in the New Testament.

And it's done for an agreed amount of time - usually 30 days, kind of like Lent. And it's supposed to end in Israel, in the Temple, which no longer exists, therefore automatically making the temporary vow permanent. For that reason not many people follow it, lol. Oh, and an animal sacrifice is thrown in too. No mention of veganism.

That's the Jewish version. It's an ancient and outmoded tradition that isn't really practiced anymore, with a few exceptions. The concept has been adapted by some religions for modern times, like the Rastafarians not drinking wine or cutting their hair.

What this arrogant guy meant, well, I don't know. I do know that there is no Jewish loophole allowing a parent to starve their child under the guise of religious beliefs, no matter how conservative. No Christian loophole, no secular loophole that I know of either.

Their booking info is here:
BCSO - Bookings

P.S. A similar case: MI - Mary Welch, 10 mos, died, parents refused treatment for religious reasons, Solon, 2 Aug 2018

 

[MsMarple]

Adding to my above post ^^^, I wonder if the person talking about "'Nazarite Hebrew' religious principles" actually meant Nazarene, which is different. Nazarenes are Jews who believe in Jesus. Not quite the same as Messianic Jews, Jews for Jesus, etc. which are recent, more modern versions, Nazarenes are more conservative. There are other differences but you can Google it for a clearer description than I can give since it gets complicated.

I don't know if that's the case and if it is I don't know how conservative or far out their particular principles are, so far I haven't found references to veganism. Or concubines.

In any case IMO I agree this has little to do with religion - after all their pediatrician offered a suitable formula and they could afford it. I'm interested in learning more about the case.