Honey questions

[AlenasMom]

Can you eat honey while nursing or will the bad things (I don't know what
those are) pass through to the baby?

--
Lina
Alena born July 1st, 2003
www.maternalinstinctscanada.com
validate the email address before sending.

[New York Jen]

"AlenasMom" > wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
> Can you eat honey while nursing or will the bad things (I don't know what
> those are) pass through to the baby?
>
> --
> Lina


You can eat honey, but it's recommended not to give the baby any honey until
he/she is at least a year old because honey can contain botulism spores.

[Akuvikate]

"AlenasMom" > wrote in message gers.com>...
> Can you eat honey while nursing or will the bad things (I don't know what
> those are) pass through to the baby?

The bad things are botulism spores, which can take root in the baby's
gut and become toxin-producing bacteria. They can't get settled in
your gut (adult botulism involves eating pre-produced toxin) nor can
they get into your milk, so you're good.

I read something recently recommending Karo syrup for baby
constipation -- NOT!!! My understanding is that the risk is lower
than with honey, but it's still a risk for infant botulism.

Kate
and the Bug, June 8 2003

[Hillary Israeli]

In >,
Akuvikate > wrote:

*"AlenasMom" > wrote in message gers.com>...
*> Can you eat honey while nursing or will the bad things (I don't know what
*> those are) pass through to the baby?
*
*The bad things are botulism spores, which can take root in the baby's
*gut and become toxin-producing bacteria. They can't get settled in
*your gut (adult botulism involves eating pre-produced toxin) nor can
*they get into your milk, so you're good.
*
*I read something recently recommending Karo syrup for baby
*constipation -- NOT!!! My understanding is that the risk is lower
*than with honey, but it's still a risk for infant botulism.

(PIDJ 19(6): 584-585.)

From the article:

"The findings for corn syrup are more ambiguous [than for honey]. In the
early 1980s laboratory studies of infant foods conducted by the FDA found
botulism spores in commercially-produced corn syrup. About this time a CDC
case-control study identified corn syrup as a risk factor for botulism in
infants more than 2 months of age, though it was not a risk factor for
infant botulism in general. Following changes in corn syrup production,
repeat FDA laboratory testing was negative [1991]. Current recommendations
suggest that infants (i.e., less than one year of age) should not be fed
honey. The evidence is insufficient to warrant recommending against giving
corn syrup to infants."



--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large :)