infectious diseases
Infant Botulism
Introduction
Infant botulism results from ingestion ofClostridium botulinumspores, their colonization of the large intestine, and toxin production in vivo. Symptoms are initial constipation followed by neuromuscular paralysis. Diagnosis is clinical and by laboratory identification of toxin or organisms in the stool. Treatment is with support and human botulism immune globulin. (See also Botulism , Infant botulism occurs most often in infants<6 months old. The youngest reported patient was 2 weeks old, and the oldest was 12 months old. Unlike food-borne botulism, infant botulism is caused by ingestion of spores, not by ingestion of a preformed toxin. The source of the spores is usually unknown, but some cases have been traced to ingestion of honey, which may containC. botulinumspores; thus, infants<12 months old should not be fed honey. Most cases involve type A or B toxin. 