Books

Baby Paleo Diet Cook Book Will Cause Death, Pulled

by Caitlin White

In a story that seems so terribly ridiculous it literally was made into an Onion headline, paleo diet cookbook for babies Bubba Yum Yum was pulled from production for providing recipes that could kill infants. But, according to Australian celebrity chef Pete Evans, actress and mommy blogger Charlotte Carr, and naturopath Helen Padarin, their diet book Bubba Yum Yum can prevent autism. I know what you're thinking: There aren't enough violently heavy sighs in the land.

The team behind Bubba Yum Yum: The Paleo Way believes that commercial formulas have too many additives and chemicals to be what they deem as healthy. Instead for infants under six months, the cookbook recommends a homemade recipe of chicken liver and bone broth, deemed Baby Building Broth. And after babies grow into the 6 to 12 month age, there's a liver pate substitute for baby food. In a tragic twist, however, health experts have said that with the homemade broth, some infants won't make it to six month.

As Heather Yeatman, president of the Public Health Association of Australia, told Time magazine, the broth recipe is "toxic":

In my view, there’s a very real possibility that a baby may die if this book goes ahead.

That warrants repeating: There's a very real possibility that a baby may die. Yeatman says the recipe contains more than "10 times the safe maximum intake of Vitamin A," which has been linked to impaired development and stunted growth in infants. Yeatman warns that it's not a safe alternative to breast milk, as are some commercial formulas designed particularly for that purpose. However, Bubba Yum Yum, of course, markets it as just that.

Carr's own son Willow follows her paleo diet, after he was born with a MTHFR A1298C gene mutation, which is known to lead to mental illness and autism spectrum disorders. She says her journey into the baby paleo diet "helped heal my little man’s compromised immune system, reverse toxicity and illness, and enabled him to heal and thrive," and she encourages all parents to "explore this healing, vibrant and very real way of eating."

But remember, for the third time: There's a very real possibility the baby may die. He might not get autism, but he might die. Do not follow this baby fad diet.

Despite Carr's strong support of the diet on her website, the book contains a disclaimer:

Although we in good faith believe that the information provided will help you live a healthier life, relying on the information contained in this publication may not give you the results you desire or may cause negative health consequences.

So...yeah. Once more with feeling: Do not put your baby on a fad paleo diet, as it can literally cause death. This is something we have to tell people now.