Why should an infant not consume honey?

Infants should not consume honey primarily due to the risk of botulism. Honey can contain spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which can produce a toxin in the intestines of infants who are under one year old. Their digestive systems are not mature enough to handle these spores safely, leading to the potential development of infant botulism, a serious illness that can cause muscle weakness, breathing problems, and other severe health issues.

Unlike older children and adults, infants have a higher susceptibility to this toxin due to their immature gastrointestinal flora, which does not yet have the capability to inhibit the growth of these spores. Therefore, for safety reasons, it is advised that honey be avoided in an infant's diet until they are at least one year old. Other concerns such as oral candidiasis, allergies, and tooth decay are relevant to older children and adults, but they do not pose the same urgent health risk that botulism does for infants.