The Agence française de sécurité sanitaire des aliments (AFSSA) in France reiterates recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO). That agency says to avoid feeding honey to children under one year old.
Honey contains bacteria that a baby’s intestines are not mature enough to digest. It can contain Clostridium botulinum spores, the bacterium responsible for botulism.
Botulism is on the rise among young children. It is characterized by constipation and general muscular weakness. The disease usually regresses after a hospitalization.
Honey sold in stores contains small amounts of these spores and thus causes no reaction in children over one and adults.
For babies less than a year old, however, intestinal microflora cannot properly play its role in intestinal defence because it is not yet fully developed. Thus, the dangers are present for babies even in small quantities. Honey should therefore be avoided before the age of one.