A diabetic teenager in Canada died of scurvy says his doctor. The boy’s parents are on trial for neglect and murder. {Huffington Post June 9, 2016]
Another boy, age 8, in England, also died of scurvy that was missed by medical personnel. [Cambrian News UK Sept 20, 2016]
Rhode Island Public Radio reports that cases of scurvy linked to poor diets have been cropping up throughout New England. [RIPR.org Aug 4, 2016]
In July of this year a toddler was transferred to the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in grave condition. The boy began limping and had speech delay. He was a picky eater, not unusual for his age. After x-rays and CT scans and blood tests, doctors didn’t have a clue to what ailed this child. Bleeding gums, a hallmark sign of scurvy, were overlooked. Doctors tested for heavy metal poisoning. Nothing.
Finally a blood test revealed the child’s vitamin C level was 0.1 milligrams per deciliter of blood (low end of normal is 0.6 mg). The child had been on a diet consisting of graham crackers and chocolate milk. [Washington Post July 25, 2016; New England Journal Medicine April 7, 2016]
God knows how much money was spent searching for what was a simple vitamin deficiency. Had that chocolate milk been Nestle’s NESQUICK, which is vitamin fortified, the child and parent might have been spared the ordeal.