Notes from the Field: Vitamin D–Deficient Rickets and Severe Hypocalcemia in Infants Fed Homemade Alkaline Diet Formula — Three States, August 2020–February 2021

Diane Calello; Mohamed Jefri; Melissa Yu; Joseph Zarraga; David Bergamo; Richard Hamilton

doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7033a4

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Notes from the Field: Vitamin D–Deficient Rickets and Severe Hypocalcemia in Infants Fed Homemade Alkaline Diet Formula — Three States, August 2020–February 2021

Journal article

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Notes from the Field: Vitamin D–Deficient Rickets and Severe Hypocalcemia in Infants Fed Homemade Alkaline Diet Formula — Three States, August 2020–February 2021

Diane Calello, Mohamed Jefri, Melissa Yu, Joseph Zarraga, David Bergamo and Richard Hamilton

MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, v 70(33), pp 1124-1125

20 Aug 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7033a4

PMID: 34411077

Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

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Abstract

Babies

Baby foods

Bradycardia

Calciferol

Calcium

Diet

Drug dosages

Emergency medical services

Hypocalcemia

Intravenous administration

Intubation

Iodine

Mechanical ventilation

Medical instruments

Medical laboratories

Oxygen content

Recipes

Rickets

Veganism

Vitamin D

Vitamin deficiency

Vitamins

Breastfeeding & Lactation

Emergency Medical Care

Infants

Micronutrients

During August 2020–February 2021, three infants were treated in separate emergency departments in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware for symptoms related to consumption of a nutritionally deficient homemade formula based on alkaline diet recipes, with resultant severe hypocalcemia and vitamin D–deficient rickets. Emergency medical services found the infant to be pale, lethargic, tachycardic, and hypoxemic (oxygen saturation = 80% [normal ≥95%]), and transported him to the hospital, where he experienced several episodes of bradycardia and cardiac arrest despite emergency endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation, insertion of a central venous catheter, fluid replacement, and high-dose intravenous calcium. Recipes associated with this diet, several variations of which can be found online, show it lacks essential vitamins and micronutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, and iodine.

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Details

Title: Notes from the Field: Vitamin D–Deficient Rickets and Severe Hypocalcemia in Infants Fed Homemade Alkaline Diet Formula — Three States, August 2020–February 2021
Creators: Diane Calello
Mohamed Jefri
Melissa Yu
Joseph Zarraga - Crozer-Keystone Health System
David Bergamo - Community Health Systems - Dupont Hospital
Richard Hamilton - Drexel University, College of Medicine
Publication Details: MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, v 70(33), pp 1124-1125
Publisher: U.S. Center for Disease Control
Resource Type: Journal article
Language: English
Academic Unit: College of Medicine
Web of Science ID: WOS:000687026800004
Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85113891696
Other Identifier: 991021863001904721