Age-old Scurvy Diagnosed in a Baby on Only Almond Milk Diet

Scurvy is a rare disease caused by vitamin C deficiency that usually begin three months after a person stops getting enough vitamin C in their diet.

A very rare disease dating back to centuries has resurfaced on an 11-month-old baby in Spain. The baby has contracted Scurvy, a condition caused due to vitamin C deficiency when his formula was shifted from cow’s milk to almond milk.

Doctor had recommended this change when he developed a rash at three months. He was not fed with breast milk and was only given formula with cow’s milk. After this shift, the baby started to consume only almond milk and refused to eat other foods like fruit or vegetable puree when he was six months old.

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‘An 11-month-old baby has contracted scurvy and suffered bone degeneration after consuming only an almond-milk-based formula diet devoid of fruits and vegetables.’

The baby’s growth was normal until eight months old when doctors noticed the child was sensitive when attempting to sit and at 11 months old he was feeling fatigued and unable to move his legs.

Doctors diagnosed the baby with scurvy who also suffered bone degeneration and fractures. They said that condition was due to lack of breast milk and vitamin C and not due to almond milk.

"This case demonstrates that scurvy is a new and severe complication of improper use of almond drinks in the first year of life. Plant-based beverages are not a complete food and they may not replace breastfeeding or infant formula," said the researchers.

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After the diagnosis, the baby’s diet was replaced with a new diet consisting of vitamins C and D supplements, formula, cereals, meat, fruit, and vegetables. His symptoms began to subside, and two months later, he started to walk.

Source-Medindia

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