Honey and Breastfeeding

Honey, a sweet food made from the nectar of flowers by honey bees, is not only a good source of sugar for nutrition but also a good medicinal applicant to cure various skin complications. With a lot of positives aspects to this food, it is also believed that honey should be avoided during pregnancy or even breastfeeding. This is a matter of concern as it is proven that raw honey contains botulism toxins which can cause a serious paralytic illness. While it has not been proven that this toxin can travel through the mother’s milk to her baby, women are still advised not to consume raw honey while breastfeeding.

Raw honey sometimes contains a type of bacterial spore that can thrive in the infant’s digestive tract and produce a toxin that is potentially fatal to the baby. However, when honey is processed, the bacterial spores are destroyed and this processed honey can be used by the pregnant woman, if she needs to include honey in her diet. When it comes to honey and breastfeeding, medical opinions differ. Some doctors say it is okay for the mother to have honey during breastfeeding while some say that it is extremely dangerous. Since the bacterial spores cannot really thrive in the acidic environment of the mother’s system, they do not get a chance to propagate. This is what leads some to believe that consuming honey during breastfeeding is fine. Unfortunately there is no real proof to either prove or refute the claim that honey while breastfeeding is dangerous.    

It is unanimously agreed upon that honey contains botulism toxins and a child would not be able to handle it since it takes at least a year for any infant’s gut to sufficiently develop. In fact, even after they turn one, you will need to keep a close watch should be kept on the consumption of honey especially in the case of boys as sugar pumps adrenaline and boys can prove to be quite a handful. Pediatricians around the world believe that it is okay for the mother to have honey during pregnancy or even at the stage of breastfeeding. There are no toxins that can get passed through breast milk that can cause adverse effects on the infant. However, it is important to note that any consumption of honey or sugar for that matter should be avoided or postponed till the baby is well over a year old. So it is okay for mothers to continue their regular diet as there is no suggestive negative results to the combination of honey breastfeeding.