Medicine

Myasnikov: children under one year old are prohibited from giving honey due to the risk of developing botulism

honey
Doctor and TV presenter Alexander Myasnikov said that due to the risk of developing botulism, children under one year old should not be given honey. He wrote about this on his blog.

— Honey may contain spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. In children under the age of one year, the digestive system is not yet fully formed, and they are more vulnerable to dangerous microorganisms, including botulism spores, the doctor noted.

He called botulinum toxin “the most terrible poison of all known.” The minimum lethal dose of botulinum toxin is 0.0003 mcg/kg. One gram of aerosolized botulism toxin can kill at least 1.5 million people. Botulinum toxin, and not any other poison, is considered a potential weapon of bioterrorism.

For the spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinu, which are everywhere, to awaken and begin to produce botulinum toxin, three conditions are necessary: ​​

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  • lack of oxygen (anaerobic bacteria),
  • low acidic environment
  • the presence of a nutrient medium.
  • — This is ideally combined in a tin can. Canned vegetables, which by definition are prepared in a low-acid environment, are especially dangerous. Beans, corn, asparagus, beets, potatoes. And, of course, fish,” Myasnikov noted.

    The main thing is to recognize the symptoms in time. And this is not diarrhea and vomiting, these are neurological symptoms. 

    • Intracranial nerve palsy
    • Double vision
    • Dropping eyelids
    • < li>Weakness of the facial muscles

    • Weakness progresses, moving down to the arms and chest.

    There is no increase in temperature, no changes in pulse or pressure. The patient is always conscious.

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    Important! Information provided for reference purposes only. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.

    Alexander Myasnikov Alexander Myasnikov Medicine Cardiologist, general practitioner, TV presenter