One Teaspoon, One Mistake — Infant Botulism Is Rare but Deadly, and Entirely Preventable

How a spoonful of honey nearly killed my nephew—here’s what every parent needs to know.

That morning, my six-month-old nephew Adam was a bundle of smiles and kicks. By that evening, he was, frighteningly, still. No crying, no movement, floppy arms and legs, and his eyes were unfocused. We thought he might just have gas, but we knew something was very wrong.

My heart dropped as we jumped in the car and raced to the hospital, terrified to find out what was really wrong. Doctors asked their standard questions. I asked just one: “Did anyone give him honey?” That changed everything.

As the medical team sprang into action, I began to understand the invisible war that was happening in Adam’s tiny body, all because of the honey that day.

Honey — a natural sweetener found in most kitchens — is potentially lethal to babies under the age of 12 months. Just one teaspoon of honey may spores of , the bacteria that create one of the most dangerous on the planet.

For infants like Adam, who have no gut defences, those spores can grow and create a toxin deadly to infants in their bodies. Luckily, Adam recovered…