Police launched an investigation after a 1-year-old boy was hospitalized
due to being on a strict vegan diet, according to police in Italy.
Now, a judge has ruled that the boy will stay in the custody of the Policlinico San Donato hospital in Milan.
According to the police investigation, the child was brought to the
hospital by his grandparents last week. Doctors were surprised to
discover that the boy only weighed as much as an average of three month
old child.
Blood tests revealed that the child was severely malnourished, and had a calcium level of the minimum necessary to survive.
The malnourished child also suffered from a heart condition that left him needing emergency surgery.
While the heart condition was not caused by the vegan diet, it is
believed that the chronic lack of calcium has compounded the problem.
The child survived the surgery and is recovering well. Doctors called
the police after the parents refused to change the diet of the boy.
Judge Ciro Cascone ordered the boy to remain in the hospital until the boy’s diet will be changed for good.