Parents starve 7-month-old son to death by placing him on gluten-free diet
A young boy died after his parents put him on a gluten-free diet, causing him to starve to death, according to police in Belgium.
Beveren police said that they have arrested the parents of 7-month-old Lucas, after doctors determined that he died on a totally empty stomach.
In court, Peter S., 34, and Sandrina V., 30, have been charged with causing the death of a child. They both face up to 6 months in prison if convicted.
According to the police investigation, Lucas was born weighing 9 pounds.
The parents, who ran a health food store, self diagnosed their child as suffering from gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance.
As a result, they placed Lucas on a diet that was free from gluten and lactose. At the age of seven months, Lucas still weighed just 9 pounds.
He began gasping for air and looked gray. Instead of going to a medical professional, the parents took Lucas to a homeopathic doctor.
The homeopathic doctor told the parents to go to a hospital as soon as possible. By the time Lucas reached the hospital, he was dead.
The baby died of severe dehydration and malnutrition. His stomach was totally empty. Prosecutors told the court that the parents never went to a doctor with their child despite his issues.
The parents told the court that they did what was best for their child, and fed him milk alternatives such as Oat milk, rice milk, and buckwheat milk.
The parents also said that they have stopped feeding Lucas regular milk after getting stomach pain.