Almond milk may be a wildly-popular beverage among
health-conscious consumers, but a new case study published in the journal
Pediatrics warns against using it as a replacement for breast milk or infant
formula. After x-rays of an immobile male infant in Spain revealed fractures in
his legs, back, and otherwise thinning bones, researchers from the Hospital
Universitario y Politécnico La Fe in Valencia were determined to find out why.
In their investigation, they discovered the 11-month-old's mother had only been
feeding the baby almond beverages or almond flour-based formulas for nine
months, resulting in scurvy.
Scurvy is a rare and serious condition that once
ravaged sailors with limited access to vitamin C while they were stuck at sea
for months. Because the baby was fed only plant-based beverages after two
months of breastfeeding, his doctors said he missed out on the essential
vitamins found in breast milk or cow-milk based formula. The mother said after
he developed skin inflammation, a doctor recommended she switch him to almond
milk; however, she failed to fill in the nutrition gap with pureed fruits and
vegetables.
"When plant-based beverages are the exclusive
diet in the first year of life and not consumed as a supplement to formula or
breastfeeding, it can result in severe nutritional problems," the study's
authors wrote. "This case demonstrates that scurvy is a new and severe
complication of improper use of almond drinks in the first year of life.
Pediatricians and parents should be aware that plant-based beverages are not a
complete food and they may not replace breastfeeding or infant formula."
Vitamin C is crucial to creating collagen — an
important protein in the body that's found in many tissues like cartilage,
bone, skin, and teeth. Infants need approximately 50 to 60 milligrams of
vitamin C a day, which they usually get from breast milk, baby formula, or
fruits and vegetables. Once the doctors realized what was wrong, the infant was
placed on a dietary regimen and fed formula, cereals, meat, and fruits, and
vegetables, as well as an oral dosage of vitamin C and D.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,
babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their lives,
after which point solid foods can be introduced to their regular diet. The
average 8 ounces of breast milk contains about 11 milligrams of vitamin C,
though fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K levels are based on the mother's
dietary intake — all of which are vital to an infant’s development.
This post was
originally published here: Almond Milk-Fed Baby
Develops Scurvy: Why Vitamin C Is Crucial To Growth
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