A 52-day-old baby is critically ill after what his grandmother thought was good medicine, but it turned out to be “poison”.
A 52-day-old baby falls critically ill after her grandmother gives her “honey” to drink to relieve her cough and nourish her lungs. Her good intentions and love for her grandchild turn into indirect harm.
Recently, in Henan Province, China, a heartbreaking incident occurred. When a 52-day-old baby girl was infected with botulinum toxin and had to be hospitalized in critical condition. The cause was a belief in a traditional treatment method. The grandmother gave the baby honey to drink to relieve coughing and nourish the lungs, but it turned out to be “poison” for the baby’s fragile body instead.
Yuan Guangfeng, deputy director of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center in China. Said it is not uncommon for young children to suffer harm from consuming honey, and some even die.
For example, in 2020, a 6-month-old baby in Tokyo, Japan, died from botulinum toxin after eating food containing honey. Back in the 1970s, the เล่นเกมคาสิโน UFABET ทันสมัย ฝากถอนง่าย United States reported the first death from Clostridium botulinum in an infant who consumed honey.
These shocking events have prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) and public health agencies around the world to issue a warning: “Do not allow honey in any form to be consumed by children under 1 year.”
Why can honey cause botulinum toxin and how dangerous is it?
Honey is considered a nutrient-dense food, known to relieve coughs, soothe the throat, and boost the immune system. However, few people know that honey can also contain spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Which is the cause of botulinum toxin.
Yuan Guangfeng explained that the spores of this type of bacteria are highly heat-resistant and cannot be destroyed by normal boiling. If they enter the body and are in the right environment. These spores can grow and release botulinum toxin. Which is one of the most powerful neurotoxins in the world. This toxin disrupts nerve transmission, causing muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, and if not treated in time, can be fatal.
Why is honey dangerous for babies but not for adults?
The biggest concern is that the digestive system of infants under 1 year old is not yet fully developed and there are not enough good bacteria to inhibit the growth of Clostridium botulinu. Making infants at high risk of infection and poisoning from honey. While adults and older children have digestive systems strong enough to resist this type of bacteria.
Early symptoms of botulinum toxin include fatigue, headache, dizziness. Later, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness. If severe, it can cause paralysis of the respiratory muscles, and risk of death. The mortality rate from this poison is 20-40%.
Treatment requires a specific antivenom serum, which is rare and whose efficacy depends on the speed of diagnosis and treatment.
How can we protect our babies from the risk of botulinum toxin?
To prevent botulinum toxin, especially in young children, parents and caregivers should take the following precautions:
- Honey in any form should not be given to children under 1 year of age. As recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and many medical organizations around the world.
- Be careful with fermented or homemade foods, especially foods made from soy, meat, eggs, salted fish, and sausages, as they can be breeding grounds for Clostridium botulinum spores.
- Cook food thoroughly before eating, as botulinum toxin can be destroyed when cooked at 100°C for 10 minutes.
- Maintain food hygiene and safety. Avoid purchasing vacuum-packed products or foods of unknown origin.
In light of this heartbreaking incident, Yuan Guangfeng also warned parents that not all foods are suitable for children, even those that are healthy for adults. Having scientific knowledge can best protect children from the hidden dangers of daily life.