Infant botulism: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention and Treatment

Table of Content

• What is Infant Botulism?

• Infant Botulism Statistics

• What Causes Infant Botulism?

• Symptoms of Infant Botulism

• Diagnosis of Infant Botulism

• Prevention of Infant Botulism

• Treatment of Infant Botulism

• When to Contact a Doctor?

• Take-Home Points

Introduction

Botulism, commonly known as botulism poisoning, is an extremely rare but serious condition that primarily affects the nerves and muscles. It can cause weakening and paralysis in the muscles that support speech, swallowing, and movement. Clostridium botulinum is the bacterium that causes it. 

Toxins released by this bacteria damage nerves and weaken muscles. In the end, it can prove to be lethal and cause breathing difficulties as well.

Infant botulism is a type of botulism that affects babies. It happens usually when the baby ingests spores of the causative organism, Clostridium botulinum. Usually, signs are trouble breathing, swallowing and a distinct faint cry. If someone suspects that their dear one might be affected by infant botulism then they must surely contact their doctor to get things sorted. Read ahead to know more about this condition.

What is Infant Botulism?

Infant botulism is a rare disease that is found in babies and happens due to the bacteria, C. botulinum. The baby ingests the spores of this bacterium via soil, and contaminated products such as food water or honey. These spores reach and develop inside the digestive tract of babies and release their toxin which in turn causes botulism. 

This is the reason why honey is recommended only for children above 1 year of age as the digestive tract of older children and adults can easily eliminate the botulism spores however that of younger children i.e. below 1 year of age is weak in regards to that.

These spores usually infect the large intestine. Infant Botulism is commonly detected by certain signs and symptoms like weakness in muscles, faint crying, problems swallowing etc.

Infant Botulism Statistics

In the US, each year 110 cases of botulism are reported on average. Thirty per cent of these cases involve baby botulism. The range of the age at onset is 1 to 63 weeks, with a mean of 13 weeks. Both girls and boys are affected equally.

What Causes Infant Botulism?

Infant Botulism usually happens when the baby ingests the spores of the causative organism via honey, soil, contaminated products etc. Usually, these spores are found in dirty and dusty places and also contaminated honey. This is the reason why babies younger than 1 year of age have to be kept away from honey and their feeding should be taken care of i.e. one has to monitor that the child is kept away from dirty and contaminated products. Moreover, this happens usually to children below 1 year of age so they can have the taste of honey only after their 1st birthday. It should also be kept in mind that exposure to contaminated soil and food can also cause infant botulism in children.

Symptoms of Infant Botulism

Symptoms of botulism in infants occur usually around 18 to 36 hours after the spores enter the body. Here are the symptoms of infant botulism: 

1. Constipation

2. Floppy movements happen due to weakness in muscles. There is also trouble controlling the head.

3. Floppy limbs 

4. Decreased activity

5. Weak cry

6. Irritability 

7. Drooling 

8. Droopy eyelids 

9. Tiredness 

10. Trouble feeding 

11. Poor appetite 

12. Paralysis

13. Sluggish eye movements 

14. Difficulty breathing or slow breathing rate

Diagnosis of Infant Botulism

For diagnosis of infant botulism, the doctor may first ask the parent or caretaker for any signs of botulism. Including that, some tests will be carried out for which samples such as stool, blood and vomit samples will be collected. These will be taken to the laboratory for testing, however,  if the doctor feels that there are chances the baby might be infected, then they will start the treatment immediately as this deadly illness requires immediate attention and treatment. 

Prevention of Infant Botulism

Prevention of Infant Botulism is easy and should be done to reduce the risk of infant botulism. It is indeed very easy, all you have to do is keep your baby away from honey (even processed foods containing honey), as much as possible, before the age of 1 year. Even a taste should be prevented. What else you should keep in mind is that you should keep your child from playing in the mud as they can get exposed to the bacteria from dust as well.

Other things that you should prevent are: 

1. Corn syrup (some brands may contain botulism spores)

2. Raw or unpasteurized milk or milk products

3. Unwashed vegetables or fruits

Also when preparing baby food, parents must keep in mind to cook the vegetables well before feeding them to the baby.

Treatment of Infant Botulism

Doctors will mostly treat the patients suffering from botulism in the hospital intensive care unit (ICU). In extreme cases, they may also use the ventilator to help with the breathing issues that the child might be facing. In addition to that they might use intravenous fluid or IV fluid, to feed the baby to assist if there is a problem swallowing. 

Apart from all the above the doctor may also provide the baby with Botulism Immune Globulin Intravenous (BIGIV) to help the baby recover faster. With proper treatment, the patient can fully recover. 

When to Contact a Doctor?

If your child's symptoms are the same as mentioned above, seek urgent medical care as there is a faint chance they might be suffering from botulism. Initial treatment increases their survival chances and lowers the risk of complications.

Take-Home Points

Infant botulism is a rare and fatal condition that occurs in children due to the consumption of spores of a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. This bacteria produces toxins that affect the child's muscles and can be a very dangerous condition. In most cases, it is acquired from consuming honey which contains the spores of the bacteria and thus giving honey to kids before the age of 1 should be avoided. The common symptoms of this condition are muscle weakness, weak cry and constipation. If your kid is suffering from this condition, immediately see your doctor.