Honey

We thought of giving Omar honey but the labels all say “unsuitable for infants under 12 months”. Odd, I think, as it is tradition in many cultures to give newborns a taste of honey. So I did a quick Google search and found three reasons it is recommended to give honey to young babies.

The first is it may damage a baby’s emerging teeth. The second is to avoid the baby developing a sweet tooth. The third reason is the real big one: to avoid the risk of infant botulism, a form of food poisoning.

It was only in 1978 that honey became a forbidden food for infants. Two years earlier, a very rare syndrome called infant botulism had been diagnosed for the first time, after some sick babies in California were found to have traces of botulism spores in their stools. Then, in 1978, an epidemiological study was done by the California Department of Health Services, which tested more than 550 samples of food, drugs and miscellaneous environmental substances for botulism. They found botulism organisms in five samples of soil, one of dust from a vacuum cleaner and nine of honey. Immediately, honey became an official danger for infants, because it was the only variable in infant botulism that could be controlled. You can't put a label on soil saying “do not eat”; but with honey, you can.

Bee Wilson, Honey, I poison the kids, The Guardian, 25 August 2005

As I understand it, the risk of contracting infant botulism is very small. It is caused by toxins produced by the bacterium (plural bacteria) Clostridium botulinum commonly found in soil, as do many other dangerous microorganisms. By the way, the same bacterium produces the toxin used in Botox treatment. Millions of babies have been fed, or at least given taste of, honey over the ages with no ill effects.

Still, seeing the official warning on the labels does make you pause.