Docs say no honey for infants under age 1

WALTHAM – The Massachusetts Medical Society and the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics today issued a reminder to parents about the dangers of giving honey to children under one year of age.The warning comes following an article in the December issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reporting on a study about the effects of honey on coughing in children. The study, comparing honey to cough medicine or no treatment at all and relying on information presented by parents, said that a teaspoon of honey at bedtime seemed to calm coughing in children and allow them to sleep better. “Children under one year should not be given honey under any circumstances,” said Carole Allen, M.D., pediatrician and Vice President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. There is too great a risk that the infant may contract infantile botulism.”Dr. Allen, who is also Director of Pediatrics at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, said the honey can be contaminated by bacteria that cause botulism, a rare but serious illness that can cause paralysis.She noted that while most news reports did contain the warning about children under one, many of the reports carried it far down in the story, and headlines only proclaimed the benefits of honey for coughing, so “many parents of infants may have missed this important piece of information.” Dr. Allen strongly recommends that parents check with their child’s pediatrician before giving home remedies or other non-prescribed treatments for coughs and colds to infants.Federal health authorities have recently advised that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldn?t be used in children under six. Because manufacturers are now removing some products for children from the market, parents are seeking other means to care for their children when they become sick. The study on the effects of honey was supported by an unrestricted research grant from the National Honey Board, an industry-funded agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.