Infant Botulism and Honey
Parents and other caregivers can prevent babies from acquiring infant
botulism from one source -- honey. California researchers have isolated
C. botulinum spores from about 10 percent of store-bought honey samples, and although less than 5 percent of patients contract infant botulism from honey, health officials and pediatricians agree that honey should not be fed to infants less than 1 year of age (it is perfectly safe for older children and adults).
(Click Botulism in Honey for more information about this potential source of infant botulism.)
Symptoms of Infant Botulism
The first sign that an infant has botulism is usually
constipation, although this is not always noticeable to parents. Often, the baby is not brought to a doctor until parents notice other symptoms of infant botulism, such as lethargy and poor feeding, as the paralysis begins to affect the baby's gag reflex and swallowing ability. Poor muscle tone
(see Pictures of Botulism) and a weak cry are also possible symptoms.
Diagnosing Infant Botulism
In order to diagnose infant botulism, the doctor will ask a number of questions and perform a physical exam, looking for signs of botulism. If the doctor suspects the disease, he or she will send a blood or stool sample to a specialized laboratory for analysis.
Because infant botulism occurs rarely and the symptoms are similar to other diseases, diagnosis is difficult and infant botulism is frequently misdiagnosed.
Treatment and Prognosis for Infant Botulism
The infant botulism fatality rate is less than 2 percent, and recovery is usually complete. Often, however, infants have to spend weeks or months on a ventilator. Horse-derived antitoxin is not given for infant botulism because of the risk of side effects, such as anaphylaxis and serum sickness.
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