Infant botulism
Prevention:
Theoretically, the disease might be avoided by preventing exposure to spores. Many pediatricians recommend avoiding honey as it has been demonstrated to contain spores of C. botulinum. Since honey is one known source of Clostridium spores , it should not be fed to infants under 12 months of age. Clostridium botulinum also appears as normal flora in some infants (that is, they normally host the bacteria but do not develop disease symptoms).
Symptoms: - The first and most frequent symptom is constipation.
- muscle weakness and floppiness (hypotonia)
- weak cry (due to muscle weakness)
- poor feeding and weak suck (due to muscle weakness)
- infant doesn't gag (absent or decreased gag reflex)
- respiratory distress (due to muscle weakness)
- eyelids sag or partially close (ptosis) (due to muscle weakness)
- descending paralysis
- respiratory failure (rare in children not sick enough to be hospitalized)
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