How many licks would it take? Can the iron in bars even be processed by the body? Can you do this for other minerals?
Im pretty sure the doctor gave them the thumbs up on trying dietary first, and Im pretty sure the doctor knows better than the guy trying to historically lecture that doctor retroactively.
The doctor is unable to stop them from their behavior.
Imagine yourself as a doctor. The patient has the plague. You say, “Take this antibiotic. It will go away.” They say, “We prefer quarantine and chicken noodle soup”.
Do you say ok? Or do you admonish them and risk they get angry and do nothing? Or do you say, that is better than nothing. It is their body.
The only ethical behavior for a physician in this situation is to say, “sure, try dietary modifications”.
They were trying to prevent long term brain development issues by resolving the anemia the fastest evidence-based way, but the patient refused expert advice.
How about we imagine the scenario that happened?
A doctor suggests a solution, via direct supplements.
The parents ask if they can try dietary first, because they are correctly nervous about direct supplementation for an infant even if it is needed, and want to go for a safer option first if possible.
The doctor sees that the situation could also be solved via dietary supplementation, and is not so severe as to require direct supplements only, and says yes. Lets start with dietary.
The baby gets better, because dietary solved the problem.
Decades later, an internet troll tries to pretend that asking for alternatives and discussing your options with your doctor is akin to anti vax mentality, while drinking heartily from a solid lead mug.
Here, real medicine was practiced, and then someone who doesnt actually know what they are talking about tried to shame a parent for doing the completely normal thing of discussing options with their doctor
