Guest guest Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 If the doctor says anything about vegetarianism, perhaps you can point out that the American Medical Assoc approves a vegetarian diet. A while ago, I actually found their website and read through their article. You could print it out and have it ready to whip out, if the doc gives you any grief. Also, you could print out something from Physicians for Responsiblie Medicine. (PCRM) That is a good site to have something printed from also. Good Luck, Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 I know how you feel. My pediatrician nearly had a fit when she learned of my dd's near-vegan diet. During her 2 y.o. checkup, when the dr. learned my kid drinks rice milk, refuses all meat and dislikes cow's milk, she was relieved that dd eats cheese and nuts b/c as she stated, " vegan diets are dangerous for children. " Please. My dd is off the charts for height (this despite my 5 foot tall stature - hubby is 5'11', but still....) and is in the 50th% for weight. We should all be so healthy!!!! No matter what your doctor says, you know what is best for your child. Introducing meat to a child who has never had it will really make her sick - cramping, bloody stools, etc. Have there ben any changes that could be causing your child anxiety? Some kids react to stress with digestive issues - just a thought. Good luck at the drs! tripleoxer8 <tripleoxer8 wrote: Hi all- Just wanted to get some feedback. We just moved and I had to find another family doctor. Our last doctor insisted that my 2 1/2 year old daughter be tested for anemia because she doesn't eat meat. I told her that our diet is very well balanced but she strongly recommended the test. Of course, she wasn't. Now I have to take my daughter in to see a new doctor because she has been having on and off stomachaches and digestive problems lately. I know what they are going to say! " It's because she is a vegetarian. " We live in an area that is very meat oriented.(Unfortunately) There are steakhouses everywhere you look. So I know our " diet " is going to be under fire when we visit the doctor tomarrow. Any suggestions? I'm not sure if there are suggestions for this, I'm just anticipating a problem. I've been a vegetarian for 17 years and my daughter has been one since before she was born. She has only been sick with a cold once since she was born. I want to be prepared for any comments. Unfortunately, this was the only doctor in this area that accepts out insurance. I hope I'm making a big deal out of nothing. Christina For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 > " tripleoxer8 " <tripleoxer8 > doctors > > Hi all- > Just wanted to get some feedback. > Now I have to take my daughter in to see a new doctor because she has > been having on and off stomachaches and digestive problems lately. > I know what they are going to say! " It's because she is a > vegetarian. " > We live in an area that is very meat oriented.(Unfortunately) There > are steakhouses everywhere you look. So I know our " diet " is going > to be under fire when we visit the doctor tomarrow. Any suggestions? Christina, This is too late for your appt, but I think a good acidophilus (probiotic) will help your daughter's digestive problems. There are several options, depending on age. If she won't do capsules, there's powder (tasteless but white with slight salt scent) and chewables. Check a health food store. Good luck, Doh -------- " When your children are adults, and in the prime of their lives, who's going to tell them that their clogged arteries, malignancies, and degenerating bodies could so easily have been prevented with the knowledge you possessed when they were young? " ~Dr. Charles Atwood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 Good point, Tracy. Also, Dr. Benjamin Spock advocated a vegan diet as ideal after adopting one himself. He did not place any age limits on his veganism recommendation, either. tracyinfo wrote:If the doctor says anything about vegetarianism, perhaps you can point out that the American Medical Assoc approves a vegetarian diet. A while ago, I actually found their website and read through their article. You could print it out and have it ready to whip out, if the doc gives you any grief. Also, you could print out something from Physicians for Responsiblie Medicine. (PCRM) That is a good site to have something printed from also. Good Luck, Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2004 Report Share Posted March 10, 2004 Christina, I have seen your daughter in person when you were here in MD I have no idea why the Dr. thought she was anemic. I suspect she was trying to cover her a** since she is obviously uneducated about nutrition and thinks a proper veggie diet is somehow harmful. I read recently that the average Dr. receives about 4 hours of information on nutrition in medical school. Betcha you've aquired waaaay more than that. I'm no Dr. but I'm different kind of expert, I'm a mom and I have seen what really matters. She's full of energy, has round cheeks, her skin has color to it and she's happy. In a word, thriving. So sorry your choices are so limited now. Good luck as you negotiate with this new Dr. and I agree with (I think it's Tracy) who recommended you arm yourself with the AMA statement on your next visit. Stephanie , " tripleoxer8 " <tripleoxer8> wrote: > Hi all- > Just wanted to get some feedback. We just moved and I had to find > another family doctor. Our last doctor insisted that my 2 1/2 year > old daughter be tested for anemia because she doesn't eat meat. I > told her that our diet is very well balanced but she strongly > recommended the test. Of course, she wasn't. > Now I have to take my daughter in to see a new doctor because she has > been having on and off stomachaches and digestive problems lately. > I know what they are going to say! " It's because she is a > vegetarian. " > We live in an area that is very meat oriented.(Unfortunately) There > are steakhouses everywhere you look. So I know our " diet " is going > to be under fire when we visit the doctor tomarrow. Any suggestions? > I'm not sure if there are suggestions for this, I'm just anticipating > a problem. I've been a vegetarian for 17 years and my daughter has > been one since before she was born. She has only been sick with a > cold once since she was born. I want to be prepared for any comments. > Unfortunately, this was the only doctor in this area that accepts out > insurance. I hope I'm making a big deal out of nothing. > > > Christina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 15, 2004 Report Share Posted March 15, 2004 Hi, I've been dealing with doctors and nutritionists for over two years for my seriously underweight but otherwise healthy vegetarian son (four years old, 27 pounds), and the best advice I can give you is to be informed and prepared. Keep a log of the foods your child eats for a few days, and calculate the protein, B vitamins, calcium, iron, etc. that she gets. When my son's local pediatrician first raised a red flag about his weight, I found that even though we live in a rural and heavily meat-oriented area, the doctors and nutritionists we saw knew something about the value of soy, nuts, whole grains, etc. Now we see doctors at Children's Hospital in Boston and have had no problem with the vegetarian thing -- the doctors actually think it's fine, though they do seem to order bloodwork pretty frequently. As for the stomachaches and digestive problems, there can be many causes that are related to diet but not specifically the vegetarian diet. My son was tested for celiac disease, which is basically an allergy to wheat and lots of other substances, and causes severe GI distress. He did not have it, but an endoscopy showed a slight intestinal inflammation which the doctors felt might have been keeping him from eating (although he never complained of stomachaches). He was put on Prilosec for a few months but I stopped it because it was a major hassle and did not seem to be helping his eating one bit. In my son's case, we are still searching for the answer, but what has helped me in dealing with doctors is simply to know the facts about the benefits of my son's diet, and at the same time be respectful of their need to figure out why he is not gaining weight. Good luck, Terry ______________________________ Now I have to take my daughter in to see a new doctor because she has been having on and off stomachaches and digestive problems lately. I know what they are going to say! " It's because she is a vegetarian. " We live in an area that is very meat oriented.(Unfortunately) There are steakhouses everywhere you look. So I know our " diet " is going to be under fire when we visit the doctor tomarrow. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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