Home About Shands For Healthcare Professionals Newsroom ShandsConnect Index
Search:


Infant intestines
Infant intestines


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: 7/20/2004
Reviewed By: Anuradha Banerjee, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Illustrated Health Encyclopedia

En Español

Pregnancy Health Center

Shands Careguides

Surgeries and Procedures

Shands HealthCast