"Honey And Infants"

My beautiful daughter, Kristen and her little one...baby Ali.

I received a call from my daughter, Kristen, with a question regarding breastfeeding and honey.  She had heard that infants should not eat honey, but wasn't certain if it was alright for her to consume it and then breastfeed.  Great question! 

And she was correct...Infants should not eat honey and here's why:

Honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores that can cause infant botulism - a rare but serious disease that affects the nervous system of young babies (under one year of age). C. botulinum spores are present throughout the environment and may be found in dust, soil and improperly canned foods. Adults and children over one year of age are routinely exposed to, but not normally affected by, C. botulinum spores.

Honey is safe to consume during pregnancy and lactation. While infants are susceptible to the infant botulism, adults, including pregnant females, are not. The concern for babies stems from the fact that infants lack the fully developed gastrointestinal tract of older humans. Since the mother is not in danger of developing this condition, the unborn baby is protected. Spores are inactivated when manufactured food products (such as cereals or nuts) receive a roasting heat treatment. Graham crackers or cereal, for example, would not contain any viable microbial spores.

deWayne & Faith Jaudon

UGA's Certified Beekeeper's

Owners: The Vintage Bee Company


Note:  You can find more information regarding this topic and other such topics by visiting the National Honey Board at:  http://www.honey.com/