Vegan couple sentenced to life over baby's death

[Raerae]

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Originally Posted by little teaser besides its not like she didnt know better, your ob gyn tells you through out your pregnancy about the importants of proper nutrition during pregnacy and for the baby the first year of its life..

How do you know she has a Ob/Gyn? They did a home birth. Your assuming. Granted I think they should have breastfed, I would think thats instinctive. But they didn't.

We also dont know if the child was born underweight, or premature. Depending on the Mothers diet, thats very possible that the child was not healthy even at birth.


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being a vegan is a personal choice and shouldnt be inforce upon anyone else.

So is religion, but families force that on their kids by birth. It's not unexpected to think that as a Vegan, they would raise their child with the same values.

 

[*Stargazer*]

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Originally Posted by Raerae It's not unexpected to think that as a Vegan, they would raise their child with the same values.

And it's definitely not a given that being vegan results in an unhealthy infant. In fact, quite the opposite. Most vegan infants are very healthy. Because their parents are smart enough to know to actually feed them breastmilk and then very healthy foods when they start solids.


These people on the other hand, ignored all the signs that their baby was starving. Like I said before, failure to thrive is not easy to miss. At all. They spent six weeks watching that baby starve to death in front of them and that isn't accidental. It's negligent, at the very least.

 

[Raerae]

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Originally Posted by Shimmer A child...at six weeks of age...that weighed 3 lbs? That's ridiculous. That's obviously not healthy. There's obviously something wrong. Starving a child, particularly intentionally, is wrong. YES they're liable when their NEGLECT causes the death of a child.

Again you have no idea as to the health of the child, or the weight of the child at birth. or if it was premature, or a full term pregnancy. They did a home birth, and probably never saw a pediatrician.

What benefit to the community at all is jail for this couple? Especially life. What danger are they to ANYONE that we need to lock them in a cell for the remainder of their lives?

 

[*Stargazer*]

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Originally Posted by Raerae What benefit to the community at all is jail for this couple? Especially life. What danger are they to ANYONE that we need to lock them in a cell for the remainder of their lives?

I'd be ok with forcibly sterilizing them. But people frown on that 'round these parts.

 

[Bernadette]

I still don't understand how her breastmilk would have gone against a vegan diet. Well, unless she considers herself an animal and in this case it seems she would have been right.

 

[Raerae]

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Originally Posted by Ladybug10678 And it's definitely not a given that being vegan results in an unhealthy infant. In fact, quite the opposite. Most vegan infants are very healthy. Because their parents are smart enough to know to actually feed them breastmilk and then very healthy foods when they start solids.

I agree that she should have breastfed. But she didn't. There is no law that says baby's must be breastfed. Apparently they sadly decided as a couple, that breastfeeding wasn't in line with their beliefs.

And what I mean by unhealthy infant, was, more like a unhealthy fetus. We dont really know what the mother looks like, and what her health is like eigther. She could be malnourished herself and very skinny. And as a result her fetus would be malnourished. So the baby could have been born sickly from the start. Since they did a home birth, there is no medical records of the baby's birth weight, and health at pregnancy. Not to mention we dont know if it was premature or full term. It could have (and probably was) been born well underweight.

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These people on the other hand, ignored all the signs that their baby was starving. Like I said before, failure to thrive is not easy to miss. At all. They spent six weeks watching that baby starve to death in front of them and that isn't accidental. It's negligent, at the very least.

Everyone is assuming that the baby was born at a healthy weight, and wasted away for 6 weeks. Since they didn't know the baby was in danger, it's probably likely that it was underweight from birth. Which would explain why they didn't notice the loss of weight. And it might not have cried because of this, because it was so weak from birth.

 

[Raerae]

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Originally Posted by Shimmer There wasn't anything wrong with the child at birth, it was a healthy child that was killed due to parental negligence.

You dont know this. Article didn't give the birth weight or status of health.

 

[Raerae]

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Originally Posted by Bernadette I still don't understand how her breastmilk would have gone against a vegan diet. Well, unless she considers herself an animal and in this case it seems she would have been right.

I think thats what they decided. That Milk, even breast milk, is a animal product. So opted not to use it. Sad =(

And yes, humans are animals =p Mamals more specifically.

 

[*Stargazer*]

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The infant was born in the bathtub of a Buckhead apartment, but never taken to a doctor. The 6-week-old was dead when his parents took him to Piedmont Hospital, across the street from their apartment, on April 25, 2004. He weighed 3 1/2 pounds and was so emaciated that doctors could count his bones through his skin.

http://criminal.lawyers.com/news-hea...607132271.html

Sorry, but even low birth weight babies and preemies don't come out emaciated. They come out small, sure, but to the point where you can count their bones through their skin? And they couldn't at any point see that he needed to be taken to the hospital ACROSS THE STREET?? Let's say he DID come out preemie and was emaciated at birth. That would have been an indicator to get him help. The more I read, the more negligent these people appear.

I'm not saying that they should have breastfed him. But they should have FED him. Age appropriate infant food, not something that specifically says not to be substituted for formula.

I feel bad that some people will now question the vegan lifestyle over this when it's really not about vegans at all, but neglectful parents.

 

[Raerae]

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Originally Posted by Ladybug10678 I'd be ok with forcibly sterilizing them. But people frown on that 'round these parts.

Why? They learned a hard lesson. I'm sure if they did ever decide to have another child (not gonna happen with the stupid verdict), they would care for it differently.

From the replies on this thread, it's obvious why they got the max sentance. Bunch of self righteous judgemental people. Probably the same as their Jury.

Why this even got to court is beyond me. What ever happened to helping people and teaching them? Community service in a childrens hospital with mandatory parenting classes would have been more beneficial imho. This is a waste of taxpayer dollars jailing these 2. And an abuse of our judicial system.

 

[*Stargazer*]

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Originally Posted by Raerae Why? They learned a hard lesson. I'm sure if they did ever decide to have another child (not gonna happen with the stupid verdict), they would care for it differently.

They didn't learn anything. They are still claiming they did nothing wrong.

 

[little teaser]

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Originally Posted by Raerae How do you know she has a Ob/Gyn? They did a home birth. Your assuming. Granted I think they should have breastfed, I would think thats instinctive. But they didn't. We also dont know if the child was born underweight, or premature. Depending on the Mothers diet, thats very possible that the child was not healthy even at birth. So is religion, but families force that on their kids by birth. It's not unexpected to think that as a Vegan, they would raise their child with the same values.

well.. even if you have a home birth you still get prenatal care at a ob gyn or nurse at a clinic dureing your pregnancy and theres a nurse with you during the home birth if she didnt have any of that during her pregnacy she was neglecting the baby with proper medical care imo
on the other hand your right i dont know anything forsure

 

[Raerae]

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Originally Posted by Ladybug10678 http://criminal.lawyers.com/news-hea...607132271.html Sorry, but even low birth weight babies and preemies don't come out emaciated. They come out small, sure, but to the point where you can count their bones through their skin? And they couldn't at any point see that he needed to be taken to the hospital ACROSS THE STREET?? Let's say he DID come out preemie and was emaciated at birth. That would have been an indicator to get him help. The more I read, the more negligent these people appear.

Neglect doesn't deserve life in prison, with possible added jail time at the mext hearing.

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I'm not saying that they should have breastfed him. But they should have FED him. Age appropriate infant food, not something that specifically says not to be substituted for formula.

Not everyone reads the labels.

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I feel bad that some people will now question the vegan lifestyle over this when it's really not about vegans at all, but neglectful parents.

Regardless, the jury conviceted them based on the premise that they intentionally starved their baby to death, and tried to use Veganism as a cover. At least according to your link. If thats true, then yes I would believe the sentence was appropriate.

I just have a hard time believeing that it was done intentionally. Especially with a home birth, it's not like there would have been any formal record of the baby had they wanted to kill the child. If anyone questioned her lack of a bump, she could have said she miscarried. Why bring the child to the hospital at all if they wanted to kill the kid. Why drag on the starvation for 6 weeks?

It just doesn't add up. The sentence is wrong.

 

[Raerae]

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Originally Posted by Ladybug10678 They didn't learn anything. They are still claiming they did nothing wrong.

If they are telling the truth, and did care for their child to the best of their ability, then yes. They didn't do anything wrong. They just didn't care for their child correctly. It's not like you get a "how to" guide when you concieve.

I'm sure they have regrets.

 

[Raerae]

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Originally Posted by little teaser well.. even if you have a home birth you still get prenatal care at a ob gyn or nurse at a clinic dureing your pregnancy and theres a nurse with you during the home birth if she didnt have any of that during her pregnacy she was neglecting the baby with proper medical care imo on the other hand your right i dont know anything forsure

Not everyone has a OB/Gyn. We dont even know if they had healthcare.

 

[mzcelaneous]

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Originally Posted by Ladybug10678 I feel bad that some people will now question the vegan lifestyle over this when it's really not about vegans at all, but neglectful parents.

Me too. Especially since reading all the comments in various other forums about how they should have given the baby a "normal" (non-vegan) diet. Again, there are plenty of vegan families that raised healthy children while still following their vegan lifestyle.

 

[*Stargazer*]

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Originally Posted by Raerae If they are telling the truth, and did care for their child to the best of their ability, then yes. They didn't do anything wrong. They just didn't care for their child correctly. It's not like you get a "how to" guide when you concieve. I'm sure they have regrets.

That's the problem though, they won't even admit that their actions caused the baby to starve to death, it's obvious they haven't learned anything. They are insistent that because they "fed" him, they didn't starve him.


The thing that I keep coming back to, and that I can't understand, is that most vegans I know are so educated about their choices and do so much research into how to be healthy. I can't figure out how you would miss the part about vegan infant care if you were researching veganism. If I had been on the jury, I wouldn't have had a hard time believing the assertion that the death was intentional.

 

[little teaser]

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Originally Posted by Raerae Not everyone has a OB/Gyn. We dont even know if they had healthcare.

its easy to get free health care if you cant afford it when your pregnant, they even have clinics for pregnant woman that are run by nurseing staff not a ob gyn.. my friend had a home birth and a nurse from the clinic assist you during the birth.. if these people didnt mean no harm, then yeah i feel for them..

 

[Beauty Mark]

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Let's say he DID come out preemie and was emaciated at birth. That would have been an indicator to get him help. The more I read, the more negligent these people appear.

Shouldn't a midwife or trained professional been on hand? Giving birth at home without trained help is very stupid. Little complications can happen during birth that can be easily and quickly fixed by a professional or cause serious damage to the child if you don't know what you're doing

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its easy to get free health care if you cant afford it when your pregnant, they even have clinics for pregnant woman that are run by nurseing staff not a ob gyn.. my friend had a home birth and a nurse from the clinic assist you during the birth.. if these people didnt mean no harm, then yeah i feel for them..

Free health care when you're pregnant is easy to get. I went through a period when I didn't have health care, and the forms for state health care even had special sections practically guaranteeing help if you're pregnant.

 

[triccc]

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Originally Posted by Bernadette I still don't understand how her breastmilk would have gone against a vegan diet. Well, unless she considers herself an animal and in this case it seems she would have been right.

I was thinking the same thing Bernadette! I think they deserve this sentence.

How could anyone be so ill informed. First of all a baby that young cannot have apple juice. Even if it is organic it has too much natural sugars for an infant. Secondly..apple juice could give the child diarrhea. Which means the child will become dehydrated. And that is probably what really caused his death.


AND I had FREE health care during my pregnancy. AND My daughter's doctor is FREE as well. The states all offer some sort of Free medical care, like Florida has medicaid.

A child is a HUGE decision. And what you don't know, you can read about. This isn't the damn middle ages. I know children don't come with instructions, but fuck, ask other people or a doctor if you don't know for sure. I read so many books before I had my baby. Plus babycenter.com is amazing with information. but the best advice, lots of times, is from your doctor(s).