Who doesn't like honey?.... babies👶😳🧐🤯🧍‍♂️

Honey is one of the best things on earth. It has hundreds of uses, for cosmetic to first aid to medicinal. Honey has even had the ability to cure people from their allergies with micro-doses. Now, most of us probably use honey as a condiment. We put it on pancakes, waffles, desserts, in teas, etc. It is an amazing natural sweetener loved by everyone. But, why can't babies have any? There is a dangerous bacteria out there called Clostridium botulinum that is commonly found living in soils and dust. One of the foods that this bacteria is typically found in is HONEY. This bacteria has sores that are poisonous to infants and can cause Infant Botulism. Infant Botulism is an illness that happens when an infant ingests toxins form a bacteria. The signs and symptoms of this are constipation, weak cry, weak facial expressions, excessive drooling, weak muscles, difficulty breathing. As you can see, these symptoms are very serious for a newborn/infant. When an infant gets infected by this bacteria the (ICU) intensive care unit is usually involved since it is quite severe. As we get older, our gut bacteria become more diverse and stronger in breaking down toxins that may be ingested. This is why honey basically has no effect on us adults. 

This cannot be avoided, if you or a family member has a baby, don't give it honey in any form. No matter how good you think the honey is don't give it to infants. The chances of an infant getting Infant Botulism are quite high if they ever eat honey. Wait until they are at least 2 years old since their gut bacteria will be a lot stronger and ready for any possible toxins from foods like honey. 

Sources:

The Nemours Foundation. (2020, February). Infant botulism (for parents) - nemours kidshealth. KidsHealth. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/botulism.html 

WebMD. (n.d.). When is it ok for babies to eat honey? WebMD. Retrieved November 27, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/baby/when-can-a-baby-have-honey