You’ve probably heard that feeding an infant honey is a no-no. Have you ever wondered why it’s not safe to feed babies honey? The reason is infant botulism – a rare but serious illness that may cause constipation, weakness and loss of muscle tone, a weak cry, weak suckling, and respiratory distress. In rare cases, babies with botulism can suffer from paralysis and even death.

Infant botulism is no laughing matter, and it’s caused by spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulism spores are found in honey products, soil, untreated water, and on the unwashed surfaces of fruits and veggies that are unpeeled. Unfortunately, these spores are hard to kill, because they are resistant to heat and some spores can survive boiling. [Read more…] about Infant Botulism – Why Babies Can’t Eat Honey