Infants

Honey should never be fed to infants under 12 months.  It is a known source of bacterial spores that produce Clostriduim botulunum bacteria.  When ingested by infants, these bacteria make a toxin that can cause infant botulism, a rare and serious form of food poisoning.

Infant botulism affects a baby's nervous system and can result in death. Most babies with infant botulism, however, do recover.  Signs and syptoms of infant botulism include:

• Floppy arms, legs and neck
• Persistant constipation
• Weak cry due to muscle weakness
• Weak sucking and poor feeding
• Tired all the time (lethargy)
• Difficulty breathing

Botulism spores may also be found in low-acid home-canned foods and corn syrup.  For this reason, you should avoid feeding these foods to infants.


Reprinted from http://www.mayoclinic.com/