Can you give babies honey?

No. Babies younger than 1 year old should not be given honey because of the risk of infant botulism. Infant botulism is a rare but serious gastrointestinal condition caused by exposure to Clostridium botulinum toxin (a poison, the same toxin as in Botox used by doctor in cosmetic or medical procedures). Infant botulism typically occurs in babies between the ages of 2 months and 8 months. To reduce the risk of infant botulism, avoid giving honey — even a tiny taste — to children under the age of 1 year. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you do not give honey to a baby younger than 12 months. Honey is safe for children 1 year and older.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria that cause infant botulism usually thrive in soil and dust. Clostridium botulinum bacteria also can contaminate some foods like honey, in particular. Clostridium botulinum spores can grow and multiply in a baby’s intestines, producing a dangerous toxin. Infant botulism can occur in infants up to age 12 months. Parents can help prevent infant botulism by not giving their baby honey or any processed foods containing honey (like honey graham crackers) until after their child’s first birthday.

Light and dark corn syrups might also contain botulism-causing bacteria, but a link hasn’t been proved. Check with your doctor before giving these syrups to a baby.

To protect your baby from infant botulism:

• Don’t offer honey. Wild honey is a potential source of Clostridium botulinum spores. Avoid giving honey — even a tiny taste — to babies under the age of 1 year.
• Avoid exposure to potentially contaminated soil or dust. Soil can contain Clostridium botulinum spores, which can circulate in the air and be inhaled into the lungs. In the United States, the risk is greatest in Pennsylvania, Utah and California — where soil botulinum spore counts are high. Exposure to contaminated soil is most likely near construction and agricultural sites or other areas where soil is disturbed.
• Be careful when canning food. Pressure-cook home-canned foods to reduce the risk of contamination with Clostridium botulinum spores. Pressure-cook these foods at 250 °F (121 °C) for 20 to 100 minutes, depending on the food. Consider boiling home-canned foods for 10 minutes before serving them.

Constipation is often the first sign of infant botulism, typically accompanied by decreased muscle tone (floppiness), muscle weakness, a weak cry, trouble breathing and poor sucking, poor feeding and constipation. If you suspect your baby might have infant botulism, seek medical help immediately. Your baby need to be treated in a hospital. Prompt treatment with the intravenous botulism immune globulin— a substance given through the baby’s veins to work against the botulinum toxin and can help prevent life-threatening complications of infant botulism. Seriously ill children may need help breathing, using a mechanical ventilator, and eating, using feeding tubes or intravenous feeding. With early diagnosis and proper medical care, a baby should fully recover from the infant botulism.

What age can a baby have honey?

Honey is safe for children 1 year and older.

Infant botulism

If infant botulism is related to food, such as honey, problems generally begin within 18 to 36 hours after the toxin enters the baby’s body. Signs and symptoms include:

• Constipation, which is often the first sign
• Floppy movements due to muscle weakness and trouble controlling the head
• Weak cry
• Irritability
• Drooling
• Drooping eyelids
• Tiredness
• Difficulty sucking or feeding
• Paralysis

Certain signs and symptoms usually don’t occur with botulism. For example, botulism doesn’t generally increase blood pressure or heart rate, or cause fever or confusion. Sometimes, however, wound botulism may cause fever.

Infant botulism causes

Infant botulism is caused by a toxin (a poison) from Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which live in soil and dust. The bacteria can get on surfaces like carpets and floors and also can contaminate honey. Babies get infant botulism after consuming spores of the bacteria, which then grow and multiply in their intestinal tracts and make toxins. That’s why babies younger than 1 year old should never be given honey. The source of infant botulism may be honey, but it’s more likely to be exposure to soil contaminated with the bacteria.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria are harmless to older kids and adults. That’s because their mature digestive systems can move the Clostridium botulinum toxins through their body before they cause harm.

Infant botulism usually affects babies who are 3 weeks to 6 months old. But all babies are at risk for it until their first birthday.

The typical incubation period for infant botulism can range from 3 to 30 days after exposure to the Clostridium botulinum spores.

Infant botulism prevention

Infant botulism occurs mostly in babies younger than 6 months. It develops when Clostridium botulinum spores are eaten by a baby and the bacteria grow in his intestines, making toxins within the gut. The source of the Clostridium botulinum spores is usually unclear. They may be present in soil or dust and then become airborne where they are breathed in and swallowed by the child. Honey is another potential source of the disease-causing spores, however honey should be avoided in children under 12 months of age. Experts don’t know why some infants get botulism while others don’t. One way to reduce the risk of botulism is to not give infants honey or any processed foods with honey before their first birthday. Honey is a proven source of the bacteria. If you have questions about other products to avoid, ask your doctor.

Food preparation and home canning can be made safer from botulism by following guidelines such as:

• Boil foods for 10 minutes, which can destroy toxins.
• Do not feed your child any foods that appear to be spoiled.
• Discard any food containers that are bulging. They may contain gas produced by Clostridium botulinum.

There is no vaccine available to prevent botulism.

Infant botulism signs and symptoms

Babies with infant botulism might have:

• constipation (often the first sign that parents notice)
• weak facial muscles that makes their face look “flat”
• a weak cry
• weak muscles in the arms, legs, and neck
• breathing problems
• trouble swallowing with a lot of drooling

They also might not feed well or move as much as usual.

Infant botulism complications

Because it affects muscle control throughout your body, botulinum toxin can cause many complications. The most immediate danger is that you won’t be able to breathe, which is the most common cause of death in botulism. Other complications, which may require rehabilitation, may include:

• Difficulty speaking
• Trouble swallowing
• Long-lasting weakness
• Shortness of breath

Botulism diagnosis

To diagnose botulism, your doctor will check you for signs of muscle weakness or paralysis, such as drooping eyelids and a weak voice. Your doctor will also ask about the foods you’ve eaten in the past few days, and ask if you may have been exposed to the bacteria through a wound.

In cases of possible infant botulism, the doctor may ask if the child has eaten honey recently and has had constipation or sluggishness.

Analysis of blood, stool or vomit for evidence of the toxin may help confirm an infant or foodborne botulism diagnosis. But because these tests may take days, your doctor’s exam is the main way to diagnose botulism.

Infant botulism treatment

Babies with infant botulism need care in a hospital, usually in the intensive care unit (ICU). Your health care team will try to limit the problems the botulinum toxin causes in your baby’s body.

Doctors treat infant botulism with an antitoxin called botulism immune globulin intravenous (BIGIV). They give this to babies as soon as possible. Babies with botulism who get intravenous botulism immune globulin recover sooner and spend less time in the hospital than babies who don’t.

If the toxin affects the breathing muscles, a baby might need to use a breathing machine (ventilator) for a few weeks until they get stronger. It also can affect the swallowing muscles, so babies usually need intravenous (IV) fluids or feedings through a tube to get nourishment.

For cases of foodborne botulism, doctors sometimes clear out the digestive system by inducing vomiting and giving medications to induce bowel movements. If you have botulism in a wound, a doctor may need to remove infected tissue surgically.

Infant botulism prognosis

Most children recover fully from botulism, although it can take several weeks to months. In cases in which the condition is untreated, the symptoms of food-borne botulism sometimes progress to a stage in which the breathing muscles become paralyzed, causing death from respiratory failure.