Nutrition Why honey can be harmful for infants

Small children should not consume honey

Honey is generally considered healthy and it is often used as a natural remedy. But for babies, the bacteria contained pose a significant health risk. The children can develop a life-threatening infant botulism as a result of consumption, the Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ) warns in a recent press release.

Infant botulism is fortunately nowadays a very rare complaint, but also in this country again and again isolated diseases are recorded. In the US, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is currently warning of the dangers of honey use in children under 12 months of age in the face of multiple cases. Honey pacifiers have been identified as causing four childhood illnesses in Texas, according to the AAP.

150 cases of infant botulism in the US

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns parents against using pacifiers filled with honey or honey soaked in honey. Often these would be bought online or in Mexico. Parents cite a variety of reasons why they offer honey to infants, including tradition, preference of children, and perceived health benefits (such as constipation or colic), according to the AAP. A total of 150 cases of infant botulism were registered in the US in 2016. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), only three diseases were recorded in Germany in the past year.

Bacteria form poisons in the baby intestine

Honey is a risk to babies as it is naturally contaminated with spores of neurotoxin-producing clostridia. "Since the intestinal flora of infants is not yet fully developed, ingested Clostridia spores can germinate, form toxin and lead to the clinical picture of botulism in the infant," explains the RKI. This occurs about ten days after ingestion of the bacteria and brings a wide range of symptoms with it. The first symptoms that can be observed in infants include generalized muscle weakness, dyspnoea (respiratory problems), constipation (congestion), flaccid paralysis, difficulty in swallowing and dehydration, and failure to thrive, reports the RKI.

Intensive medical treatment required

In infant botulism "the child has difficulty sucking and swallowing, so that more saliva trickles out of the mouth," explain the experts of the BVKJ. A delayed reaction to light was observed in the pupils. If there is a suspicion of infant botulism, medical care should be sought promptly, as intensive medical treatment may be required urgently. (Fp)