Ombudsman Volynets proposed a legislative ban on vegetarianism for children: parents “underfeed”

Several resonant stories about how inadequate raw-vegetarian parents starved their children to death made society think: is it possible to fight this? After all, children cannot always choose their own food. The Children’s Ombudsman in the Republic of Tatarstan, Irina Volynets, proposed to legislate a ban on the “underfeeding” of children. What is the essence of the initiative, and how can you regulate someone else’s diet at the legislative level, “MK” figured out.

Recently, MK wrote about the tragedy in Krasnoyarsk: parents with many children, Svetlana and Denis Zhitelev, fed their two-year-old daughter mainly with breast milk – sometimes she received fruits and vegetables, but did not know the taste of meat, eggs and fish. When the child fell ill and was taken to the hospital, doctors diagnosed a new modification of coronavirus and severe exhaustion – the baby died, although in all other similar cases doctors manage to cure children.

Another case took place in Sochi in March 2023 – there a family of raw food bloggers starved an infant to death. The baby’s mother was found guilty of leaving a child in danger, as well as neglect of parental duties and cruelty to her son.

These cases forced the Children’s Ombudsman Irina Volynets to initiate an appropriate bill to prevent such tragedies. As Volynets said in an interview with an MK correspondent, today the state does not have mechanisms to bring such parents to their senses and, if they cannot be convinced, at least bring them to justice.

“Responsibility for such parents comes only in the event of the death of their children,” explains Volynets. “That’s why I asked the deputies to consider the issue of prohibiting vegetarianism and a raw food diet for minor children at the legislative level.

She sent appeals to the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Women, Family and Children, as well as to the chairman of the Health Committee. Irina Volynets listed all the harms of limited nutrition for children and pointed out that “the issue of banning vegetarianism, veganism and raw food diet for minors, especially children in the first years of life, is not regulated by law.” She gave an example: if some parents do not want to treat a child for fatal diseases in accordance with their “convictions,” then they are thereby breaking the law, and they can be held accountable, but there is no such law regarding dangerous veganism.

“Neither veganism nor a raw food diet can provide a child with normal development, physical and mental, or well-being,” says Volynets. “But it may take a long time before his weakened state or exhaustion becomes noticeable to others and they begin to sound the alarm.” And it will be very difficult to catch up! We proposed to introduce this into legislation, first of all, for explanatory purposes, so that our citizens would not have any illusions regarding all these newfangled false teachings about “healthy eating.” I encourage all parents to use common sense. A child’s health is not a toy or a field for experimentation. Adults – please do whatever you want with yourself, but do not deprive your children of their health and life.

However, there are those who are ready to object – parents who deliberately limit the nutrition of their children. The MK correspondent contacted a mother of many children, 34-year-old Muscovite Taisiya – she herself has not eaten meat for 15 years and does not offer it to her three children (3, 5 and 9 years old). The diet consists of only poultry and fish. Interestingly, the restrictions do not apply to the father of the family – he is not ready to give up pork, so Taisiya prepares two lunches: for her husband and for herself and her children.

“I think that pork is generally harmful to children, so I don’t give it to them, and beef too,” Taisiya told us. – Children receive all the necessary nutrients and microelements from eggs, cottage cheese, cheese, chicken and turkey, cereals, nuts, herbs, and so on. Among iron-containing foods, they eat apples and buckwheat well. The two youngest have soups made with meat broth in the garden, but they hardly eat the second one. According to the tests, everyone is doing well, their activity is through the roof!

Meanwhile, as Moscow pediatrician Daria Klimuk warns, any restrictions in nutritious nutrition in children one way or another lead to negative consequences. A healthy child can receive all the nutrients he needs in full from foods (except for vitamin D, which should be additionally given in a prophylactic dosage if there are no contraindications).

“All types of meat, dairy products, fish, fruits and vegetables should absolutely be combined and offered to the child,” explains the doctor. – When it comes to meat, you shouldn’t limit yourself only to poultry. It is the “red” types of meat that contain a large amount of substances that will help maintain iron levels in the body. No amount of vitamins, let alone dietary supplements, will be able to replenish the nutrients that a child can get from foods.

The pediatrician especially does not recommend a raw food diet, since many products intended for baby food must be subjected to heat treatment – they may contain pathogens of certain infections. And raw cereals, for example, cannot be chewed or treated with enzymes by the child’s body. Raw fruits and vegetables, of course, can be given to children, but you cannot limit yourself to plant foods only.

If a child refuses some foods, then you should not force-feed, but the child should have a choice. Dietary restrictions can affect a decrease in immunity, which will lead to frequent morbidity and poorer tolerance to infectious diseases, a general deterioration in health, weakness, and decreased activity of the child.

One thing is unclear: how will the new law influence families? Is it possible to legally oblige all parents to regularly bring their children for examinations to pediatricians. As the doctors explained to us, now “it is impossible to force parents to do this,” and the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation only “recommends” annual preventive examinations of children: during the 1st year of life – monthly, in the second year of life – once every 3 months. During examinations, height and weight are measured, external examination and other examinations are performed.

“There are parents who refuse examinations, and some do not attend municipal clinics at all (it is important that the child undergo regular preventive examinations, not necessarily as part of compulsory medical insurance; if desired, there are private clinics and medical centers), one of the capital’s residents explained to MK children’s doctors. – With such parents, issues are resolved individually, because a message is received from the maternity hospital to the clinic at the place of residence that a child has been born. Some parents do not allow doctors to conduct patronage visits, while others only agree to patronage visits and do not register. Someone is examined, but not vaccinated, there are many options for parents’ behavior…