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Infant intestines
Infant intestines
OverviewSymptomsTreatmentPrevention

Infant botulism

Definition:
This is a type of botulism in which bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, grow within an infant's gastrointestinal tract and produce a toxin which can cause a potentially life-threatening disease.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Clostridium botulinum is a spore-forming organism that is common in nature. The spores may be found in soil, foods (such as honey and some corn syrups), and elsewhere.

This disease occurs mostly in young infants between 6 weeks and 6 months of age. Onsets as early as 6 days and as late as one year have been reported.

Risk factors include the ingestion of honey, young age, contact with soil, breast-feeding, and having less than one stool per day for a prolonged period (greater than 2 months).



Review Date: 7/29/2002
Reviewed By: Adam Ratner, M.D., Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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