While a woman has just died after consuming a carrot cake contaminated by botulinum toxin, attention turns to this invisible but potentially fatal bacteria again: Clostridium botulinum. This dramatic news recalls another danger, unknown to the general public but just as real: honey, however natural and appreciated, can also be a carrier of spores of this bacteria. And for infants under a year, the risk is major. Here’s why you should never give a baby honey.
Why so much caution? Because behind its apparent sweetness, honey can contain spores of Clostridium botulinuma bacteria capable of producing a formidable toxin: botulinum toxin. In adults or larger children, no danger: the digestive system blocks the proliferation of the bacteria. But among toddlers, the immune system and the intestinal flora are not yet ready to block.
Infantile botulism: a rare but serious disease
When an infant consumes contaminated honey, spores can develop in his intestine and release toxin. The result? A disease called infant botulism. It often begins with simple constipation, but can evolve towards disturbing muscle paralysis. General weakness, loss of tone, respiratory disorders … Successful babies often should be hospitalized, sometimes placed under respiratory assistance for long weeks.
Fortunately, fatal cases remain extremely rare in France. But their frequency has been increasing since 2004, which pushes health authorities to recall the ban on giving honey to under a year. No origin of honey is safe, whether organic, local, industrial or craft.
No honey, even to calm a sorrow
Please note: even a drop of honey on a pacifier, or on the finger to calm a baby, may be enough to trigger the infection. You should not put them in the bottles, in the small pots, or on the gums.
After a year: green light
Good news, however: beyond 12 months, honey becomes a beneficial food. Rich in energy, natural sugars and vitamins of group B, it has its place in the food of young children … but not before the first birthday.