Baby Feeding: Honey
Why can't babies eat honey?
Honey has been known to contain spores of the harmful bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which can cause infant botulism. In young children less than 1 year old, the digestive tract lacks the protective mechanisms to prevent the growth of the C. botulinum spores and production of the botulism toxin.
By their first birthday, however, young children can produce stomach acid and their digestive tract has become colonized by protective bacteria, making them much less susceptible to developing infant botulism.
Answered by
Dr. Catherine Donnelly
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