Winnie The Pooh would be horrified at this statement, but why do I advise parents, and in particular, persistent grannies and aunties that there shouldn’t be any sugar or honey added to tea, water and milk of babies under the age of 1 year?
Firstly- sugar is ultimately addictive and harmful over the long term. If we never introduce our children to sugar, they will never know, and ask for it in future. Definitely a healthier habit to adopt early on.
The second reason, and the more serious one is that all honey may contain spores of a bacteria, Clostridium Botulinum. These spores, when ingested in the immature gut of a young baby can change into the active bacteria that produces toxins and can cause a condition called infant botulism. This condition mostly occur in babies between 2 and 8 months old. Infant botulism, in it’s extremes, can cause muscle weakness, difficulty in feeding and swallowing and ultimately may lead to paralysis that might even be fatal if it affects the respiratory muscles. Although a rare condition, there are still active cases reported often.
It is important to remember that this is applicable to all honey and honey containing products. Heat and cooking doesn’t kill the spores of the Botulinum bacteria, so it’s best to avoid it completely until your baby is well over 1 year old.
Xoxo Dr Christa
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