Honey not so sweet for your infants
By Donya Betancourt
Dr. Donya,
This is Anik again, I wrote to you a few months ago about my baby's teeth. My baby is now almost a year and five months old, but she has only six teeth, four on top and two below. I hope this is not a problem.
I am wondering if it is good for my baby if I gave her about half a teaspoon of honey every morning. Will it have any negative effects?
My other question is regarding her diet. I vary her food. For instance, if she has fried fish and tofu with spinach and carrot today, tomorrow she will have meat, water convolvulus and carrot, and the next day, egg, tempeh, potato and carrot. Carrot is always on the menu. Is this a good diet for her?
I also prepare her meals three times a day and she is given three bottles of milk (150 milliliters each), and fresh fruits once a day. Sometimes, I give her cakes in the afternoon. I try to avoid giving her snacks near her meal time. I think she likes her food and is gaining weight just fine.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
-- Anik
Dear Anik,
You do not have to be too concerned about her teeth as they will gradually increase. However, you need to watch her other developments to see if they are normal.
As for honey, it is sweet and your baby may become fond of sweet food. Children generally love sweet food but they will gain weight by eating them. Besides, your daughter's teeth may decay if she gets into the habit of eating sweet food before going to bed.
Honey has been known for its therapeutic qualities. However, honey may contain a spore-forming bacterium that produces a toxin, which can cause infant botulism. Children below a year old are vulnerable to this disease.
Infant botulism is caused by Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that lives in soil and dust. The bacteria may also contaminate food, especially honey. Clostridium botulinum produces a neuro toxin called botulin. The toxin usually affects intestinal muscles first. This rare but serious form of food poisoning, which affects the babies' nervous system, can result in death.
The signs of infant botulism include weakness in the neck, arms or legs, inability to suck or cry normally, inability to eat or swallow and persistent constipation. The botulism takes hold in infants because infants under a year old have not developed bacteria that can control the botulinum spores in their bowel.
I would advice you not to add honey to your baby's food, water, formula or medicine. As infants grow older, the stomach acid, intestinal bacteria and a mature bowel will make them less vulnerable to botulin. Thanks for writing.
-- Dr. Donya
Dear Dr. Donya,
I was very interested in your article on acne. My best friend, a 22-year-old, has acne problems, which according to him, started when he was 17 years old.
His parents and siblings do not have the problem, although his father used to have it when he was young.
Besides some reddish scars, my friend's face looks fine and his forehead is totally clean. He has tried using a facial wash but it did not work. He has some white heads too.
His doctor has given him some pills and Vitamin E. When he stopped the drugs after his second visit to the doctor, the problem returned. He then went to see an acupuncturist. After a couple of visits, his skin condition improved and it did not look as oily as before.
My questions:
1. Is his acne genetically linked?
2. Does his diet have something to do with his acne?
3. If he is slim (even by eating fatty food), why does he have acne?
4. What should he do? Should he avoid certain types of food?
5. What kind of milk will be most suitable for him?
6. What should he use to wash his face? Can the scars be removed?
Thank you.
-- Gracie
Dear Gracie,
Answers to your questions:
1. Yes, his acne is genetically linked.
2. There is no study to show that certain types of food causes acne. But some acne sufferers do need to supplement their diet with linoleic acid, zinc or selenium, in case they are deficient in these.
3. He may have a high metabolic rate, which explains why he can eat a lot and yet remain slim. But if he has a break out of pimples or skin inflammation (comedones), other factors such as exposure to sun, lack of sleep and stress can aggravate the condition.
4. He may need to avoid the particular food which he thinks is aggravating his acne, but again, there is no medical study to support this.
5. He can drink any kind of milk.
6. Washing cannot remove scars. If he has comedones, he needs to treat the inflammation immediately or otherwise the skin will be damaged.
Treatment to remove the scars depends on his skin type. His doctor may start with a daily treatment of retin A and recommend AHA facial and AHA home use application.
I suggest your friend consult a dermatologist and most importantly, complete the treatment. Patience is paramount in acne treatment as it takes time to see the results.
-- Dr. Donya
The writer is a pediatrician based in Sanur, Bali. Questions? Contact her at drdonya@hotmail.com or features@thejakartapost.com