‘Muesli mums’ put their babies at risk

Fad diets leading to middle-class malnutrition

MIDDLE-CLASS mothers could be causing malnutrition in their children by putting them on trendy diets such as veganism and gluten-free.

A children’s doctor in Glasgow has warned that some babies are inappropriately being given soya milk.

Parents, encouraged by discussions on parenting websites, are self - diagnosing their children as lactose intolerant and taking them off cow’s milk.

But so - called ‘muesli mums’, who are also putting their young children on vegetarian and vegan diets for faddish reasons, may be putting their health at risk.

Dr Samantha ross, a GP specialising in children’s health, said cases of malnutrition are coming not only from deprived areas of the city but from affluent outlying areas such as Bearsden.

Dr ross, a GP principal at Shettleston and carmyle medical centre in Glasgow , said: ‘research has found there is not so great a socio - economic divide f or malnutrition.

‘There are children who are on inappro - priate foods due to food poverty suffering from it, and children whose mums are really part of the muesli mum brigade, who are on vegan diets or exclusion diets, such as lactose-free.

‘These can be inappropriate because they might not give children the calories or the nutrients they need.’

As soaring numbers of adults adopt gluten and lactose -free diets, in a bid to improve their health, it is feared these lifestyles are filtering down to their children.

According to the f ood Standards Agency, around 7 per cent of babies under one year old do have an allergic reaction to cows’ milk and should not be given it. But in other cases, mothers are simply deciding that soya milk is healthier and better for their offspring.

‘Discussions on social media can worry parents,’ said Dr ross, who trains health visitors in recognising and managing obesity and ‘weight faltering’. ‘There is a bit of self-diagnosing of lactose problems in children going on.

‘lactose-free and soya milk are out there and mums know about them through advertising, so are managing to get hold of them. GPs have been made aware that soya milk should not be prescribed to infants under six months.

‘The concern is that babies are not getting the calories they need, as the concern for babies on vegetarian diets is that they are not getting all their vitamins.’

for children, cow’s milk is viewed by medical experts as second only to breast milk as an important source of energy , protein, vitamins and minerals.

in 2004, the chief medical Officer advised against giving soya-based formula even to children with an allergy to cow’s milk protein or lactose intolerance. This is because the risk is that these children will also be allergic to soya milk and because of its high phytoestrogen content, which research shows interferes with testoster - one levels and could cause fertility prob - lems for young boys later in life.

Dr ross said: ‘restricted diets in general can lead to weight loss. mothers need to be aware of the risks.’

‘Bit of self-diagnosing going on’