Too Much of a Good thing

By Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog Parents worry if their children are getting a good diet that will allow them to grow up healthy and strong. It came as somewhat of a shock when parents of a toddler in Spain were told their child was suffering from scurvy, a lack of vitamin C. After all, wasn't scurvy what plagued sailors of old? It could not be the case in modern Spain. The pregnancy was uneventful and his birth weight was a respectable 6.8 pounds. He received the recommended vaccinations and for the first two and a half months of life was fed a cow's milk based formula in lieu of human breast milk. He developed a rash and his diet was changed to an almond based formula. Beginning at about six months the mother tried to introduce pureed fruits and vegetables but they were refused. From two and a half to 11 months, the toddler only ate a mixture of almond milk and other grains with some added probiotics. At seven months, he could sit with support, but one month later he was less stable sitting. Though he continued to grow longer, his weight gain plateaued and declined by 11 months. He appeared fairly healthy but irritable and could not support his legs on a solid surface and cried when his legs were moved passively. Leg X-rays showed signs of bone density loss, called osteopenia, thinning of bone and other features linked with changes associated with scurvy as well as a fracture of his right leg. He also had numerous abnormalities in his blood work including extr...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news