Expert: Pat G - 8/13/2009

Question
My daughter is 16 and on 10 carbs a day for a modified atkins diet for seizures for the last 70 days.  It works great for her and we have just found out she is 9 wks pregnant.  We are shocked and so worry about the health of her and the developing fetus. WOuld she be a candidate for an early abortion?  
thank you *

Answer
Hello, joan,

First of all, 9 weeks isn't an early abortion. For one thing, a pill abortion will no longer work. But more importantly, abortion could greatly increase the medical harm she is experiencing. Also, I don't offhand see any reason why her fetus would have been harmed by the diet, especially if she gets away from the chemicals at this point. If the baby were greatly harmed, she probably would have miscarried.

One thing I want to warn you about the Atkins diet is that it uses artificial sweeteners, and these are also very harmful. I don't know if you mean to say that she is on 10 servings of carbs a day, or 10 grams of carbs. There are other alternatives. For example, if you are talking about her doing well on only 10 grams of carbs a day, there are "carbs" that are safe and very nutritious. One source is sprouts. They have carbs, yes, but they are complex, and they are very high in protein and the form of the carbs is especially beneficial. Alfalfa sprouts and carrot juice (freshly made) are especially nutritious, and if you can get it, goat's milk is very beneficial. We put one of our children on this diet, and it completely turned his life around! If you want more information on how to tailor this to your daughter's needs, let me know. I wanted to send you to a web site, but unfortunately, it's no longer online. I have the book, and I can use it as a reference if necessary. Please write me privately about this. Also, I can point you to some other web sites if you let me know more details.

Seriously, though, abortion would only compound the medical problems. You should find a decent doctor who is willing to work with you. There is no reason why a good doctor can't help both your daughter and your grandchild through this safely. To find a good doctor, find an organization in your area that can make a recommendation. I don't see which country you are from, but I will assume you are from the United States. If not, let me know. But go to this web site and find an organization in your area:

http://www.pregnancycenters.org/

Good luck with this, and please let me know how she does.