Honey linked to botulism in babies under one year old
Posted February 2, 2011 9:19 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Health Canada said babies under the age of one should not be fed honey because it has been linked to infant botulism.
In fact, honey is the only food in Canada to which infant botulism has been linked and should not be stirred into baby food or put on a soother.
In Canada, there have been 38 reported cases of infant botulism between 1979 and 2010.
It is a serious disease that can affect children who are less than a year old, even causing paralysis.
The bacteria can’t grow or make toxins in honey, but if an infant swallows honey, the spores in the bacteria may grow and produce toxins in the baby’s body.
