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Open Question
| So, I'm sitting here eating some spreadable Billy Bee honey, and I look at the side of the container and read: "Do Not Feed Honey to Children Under One Year of Age." Ok, why? I'm guessing there has to be some scientific explanation, as I'm sure Billy Bee Honey wouldn't want to cut off that lucrative market. So, as I'm too tired to Google it, anybody got an answer to this one? |
posted by Eaglewing at 5:20 AM
Comments on "Open Question"
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Anonymous said ... (December 08, 2008 4:50 PM) :
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Eaglewing said ... (December 09, 2008 6:19 AM) :
post a commentHi! I know this comment comes awhile after your post (I wandered here while googling Billy bee honey), but I can answer your question. Honey is known to contain botulism bacteria. The bacteria themselves are harmless, so anyone with a decent immune system can handle them and thus, eat things like honey. The toxin they produce, however is deadly, and since babies don't have a good immune system or a nice normal bacterial "flora" going on in their gut, the botulism bacteria from the honey settles right in with no one to kick them out or to have to compete with. Eventually, they will colonize and grow in significant numbers, all the while producing the toxin, which ends up being deadly to the young 'un.
So just to avoid the whole dead baby thing, you're supposed too just avoid feeding it to infants, even if it's golden sweetness works well in shutting them up when they're crying. (this is probably why don't have kids...)
Hope that helps clear up the honey/baby question!
hi anonymous, thanks for clearing that up! I will abstain from feeding honey to babies. Not that it would come up I'm sure.
Feel free to drop by the 'Roost again!