A naturopath is facing criminal charges in Australia after telling a breastfeeding mother to eat only raw fruit, vegetables and seeds – advice which led to the emaciated baby being hospitalised.

The 33-year-old mother has also been charged and pleaded guilty to an offence of failing to provide for her child.

The mother, who cannot be named, allegedly went on the raw food diet last year after Marilyn Bodnar, a naturopath, claimed it would cure the baby boy’s eczema.

According to court documents, Ms Bodnar said: “Are you 100 per cent raw? You have to be 100 per cent raw if you want to see your son heal.”

Ms Bodnar, 59, also advised the mother not to apply steroid creams and to use only aloe vera plant juice.

Police said that the baby developed a fever, prompting Ms Bodnar to put the mother on a “water-only diet”.

“You are not allowed to eat anything if you want to see him get better,” she allegedly said.

As the baby’s condition worsened, Ms Bodnar allegedly told the mother to let the six-month-old baby suck raw food from a net and to feed on goat’s milk.

When the baby vomited the milk, Ms Bodnar allegedly said this was helpful because it was “eliminating the toxins that caused the eczema”.