~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This message is from PedTalk! To reply to the group, use "" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ gerri shames wrote: > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > This message is from PedTalk! To reply to the group, use "" > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > lately i've been asked repeatedly by quite a few motheres about the > adviseability of giving honey to infants under a year old. > besides real honey; there is a new natural mixture claiming to > replace iron supplements which, among other ingredients, also > contains honey.any thoughts, suggestions? thanks, gerri shames,r.n. > ------------------------------------- > Name: Gerri Shames > E-mail: > Date: 11/26/97 > Time: 21:59:23 > The real issue with honey is the risk of transmission of Clostridium botulinum spores in raw honey, causing infantile botulism. There has been a significant decrease in the number of cases of infantile botulism of late, probably due to the fact that few parents give their kids raw honey. As far as iron goes, the important thing is how much iron is in the formulation and how bioavailable it is. The concern with "natural" products is not that they are necessarily bad, but rather that you can't be sure. There is no regulation to ensure that it contains what the package says it does, and that one bottle contains the same as the next. This lack of oversight makes me awfully nervous, and a lot of products that may be good are off my personal formulary because I can't rely on their composition. Andrew M. Eisen, MD Assistant Professor of Pediatrics University of Nevada School of Medicine