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[Anemia and limping in a vegetarian adolescent]
R Chiron1, A Dabadie, V Gandemer-Delignieres
1Département de médecine de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, hôpital Sud, CHU, 16, boulevard de Bulgarie, 35056 Rennes, France.
Summary
A vegan diet can cause severe bone issues like rickets and anemia in children due to deficiencies in calcium, vitamin D, and B12. Healthcare providers must screen for and prevent these nutritional deficits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Nutritional Deficiencies
- Public Health
Background:
- Vegan diets, while potentially healthy, require careful planning, especially in children and adolescents.
- Nutrient deficiencies such as cobalamin (vitamin B12), calcium, and vitamin D can arise from poorly managed vegan diets.
Observation:
- A 15-year-old experienced severe lameness (femoral epiphysiolysis) due to rickets and hypocalcemia, and pallor/jaundice from megaloblastic anemia (cobalamin deficiency).
- These conditions stemmed from a strict vegan diet imposed by parents affiliated with a cult, who denied the diet's role in the pathology.
Findings:
- Supplementation with calcium, vitamin D, and B12, alongside orthopedic care, resolved the bone lesions and anemia.
- The case highlights the critical need for nutritional screening and intervention in pediatric patients on restrictive diets.
Implications:
- This case underscores the severe health risks of nutritionally inadequate vegan diets in developing children.
- It also points to the complex social and legal challenges when parental beliefs lead to child neglect and endangerment.
- Healthcare professionals must be vigilant in identifying and addressing nutritional deficiencies in children, especially those from restrictive or cult-like environments.