Infant

  • Babies and bearded dragons don’t mix: outbreak of reptile-associated Salmonella Tennessee, Germany 2008

    Posted: September 13th, 2011 - 12:45am by Doug Powell

     In early 2008, eight cases of Salmonella Tennessee were reported in infants in Germany; normally there is about one case per year.

    Using a case–control study to identify the source of infection, German researchers report in the current issue of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases they identified 18 cases less than 3-years-old. Ten children were male; median age was 3 months (1–32 months). In 8 of 16 case households reptiles were kept. Although direct contact between child and reptile was denied, other forms of reptile contact were reported in some cases. Identical Salmonella Tennessee strains of child and reptile kept in the same household could be shown in 2 cases.

    The researchers conclude that indirect contact between infants and reptiles seems to be sufficient to cause infection and should therefore be avoided.

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    bearded dragon, Children, Germany, Infant, salmonella
  • Infants given risky herbal remedies

    Posted: May 2nd, 2011 - 8:23pm by Doug Powell

    This is gross.

    Infants as young as one month are being given either dietary botanical supplements or herbal teas.

    A study done for the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio and published in the June edition of Pediatrics, has found that nine per cent of infants in a major survey were given a wide variety of herbal supplements and tea. It is being raised as a concern because some supplements given to infants may be health risks.

    The purity and potency of such supplements and teas are not regulated in the same way as pharmaceuticals and may lead to adverse drug reactions and may contain heavy metals and other contaminants which could be harmful, says the study.

    In 2007 one brand of gripe water, used to soothe fussy babies, was recalled because it contained cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause intestinal infections.

    The supplements and teas are sometimes preferred by parents because they can be obtained without medical prescriptions and have been shown to be effective for some conditions. Most are marketed as, and considered to be, more natural.

    Experts recommend that infants receive only human milk or infant formula for the first four to six months, with vitamins and medicine as needed.
     

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    herbal, Infant, Risk, supplement
  • Infant in Ireland stricken with botulism from pet turtle, reptiles not suitable as pets for under fives

    Posted: February 26th, 2011 - 12:03pm by Doug Powell

    An infant in Ireland is recovering after a bout with botulism type E, most likely due to exposure to a pet turtle or turtle feed.

    Dr Paul McKeown, a specialist in public health medicine at the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) warned that reptiles are not appropriate pets for children under the age of five.

    Reptiles such as snakes, lizards, tortoises, turtles and terrapins have become extremely popular as pets, he said, but they require careful handling as they carry a range of germs that can lead to illness. Washing hands after touching them is very important.

    “Given the risks, reptiles should not be kept as pets in a house where there are children under the age of five,” he added.

    There are a number of different types of botulism toxin but the type which the baby picked up – type E – is so rare it was only the seventh case ever reported in an infant worldwide, the centre said.
     

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    Botulism, food safety, Infant, Ireland, Pets, reptile, turtle
  • Internet, porn, Hasslehoff and raw milk

    Posted: July 6th, 2010 - 3:29pm by Doug Powell

    The Internet is good for porn and videos of David Hasslehoff; that’s what the local university radio station says.

    There’s this website called The Caveman Diet, that had a post entitled, Can I start giving raw milk to my 7 month old infant?

    And the best answer was deemed to be, “wait till he turns 1. It is ok to have raw milk only in cereal in the mornings. At 7 months old he is way too young."

    From a microbiological perspective, this is stupid beyond belief. Maybe it works if you thought Baywatch was an accurate depiction of California beach life.
     

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    Infant, Internet, Porn, raw milk
  • Mum says ‘I didn’t know;’ UK infant recovers from botulism

    Posted: May 23rd, 2010 - 9:36am by Doug Powell

    Logan Douglas was temporarily blinded and paralyzed as the botulism he contracted at 16-weeks-old ravaged his body.

    Six months after his parents, Theresa Fitzpatrick and Alex Douglas, were faced with the decision of whether to turn off his life support as baffled medics feared the worst, Logan is doing great (right, photo from The Sun).

    When a limp and ill Logan was first taken to physicians, he was admitted to hospital and, after a battery of tests, a Glasgow-based doctor ordered a test for infantile botulism for Logan.

    Devastated Theresa has revealed she still blamed herself after feeding her baby honey.

    She wasn't aware that the food wasn't suitable for children so young - and unwittingly placed his health in danger.

    "Logan's big sister, Taylor, loves honey on toast and one day I was spreading some honey for her and Logan was a bit grizzly. So I just dipped his dummy in the honey and he loved it. He got some every now and again. None of the baby books I had mentioned infantile botulism or said honey was dangerous for babies under a year old. I'd been at my auntie's house with Taylor and she said to take a pot of honey she had home with me for Taylor. I wish I hadn't now. Taylor hasn't ever asked for honey again and it's banned from the house now. It was just an ordinary supermarket's own-brand honey bought off the shelf. The environmental health people tested the actual pot and it was confirmed as the source."

    Kudos to Thersa, Logan’s mum, for admitting she didn’t know about the potential risks. I, and other food safety types, hear everyday, “I didn’t know” about E. coli, or Salmonella, or botulism or whatever. That’s OK. It underscored the need to be creative and compelling when talking about … anything.

    Clostridium botulinum can cause sickness in very young children, and infants under the age of 1 years old are most at risk. Honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores which can grow in the digestive tract of children less than one-year-old because their digestive system is less acidic. The bacteria produces toxin in the body and can cause severe illness. Even pasteurized honey can contain botulism spores and should be not be given to children under the age of 12 months.

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    Other Microorganisms  |  1 Comment
    Botulism, Clostridium, Honey, Infant, Uk
  • Don't eat raccoon poop

    Posted: May 5th, 2009 - 7:02am by Doug Powell

    CBC News reported last night that parents should be on alert for raccoon roundworm, a rare parasite transmitted through contact with the animal's feces, which has left a New York infant with brain damage and a teenager blind.

    Raccoon roundworm or Baylisascaris procyonis is an extremely rare parasitic infection in humans that can cause nausea, nerve damage and even death.

    People become infected by swallowing the parasite's eggs that are shed in the feces of infected raccoons.

    Parents should supervise children to keep them away from raccoon feces, Sally Slavinski, a spokeswoman for the city's health department, said Monday.

    The infant has been hospitalized since suffering seizures and spinal problems last October and now has permanent brain damage.

    The infant had a history of eating soil, and swallowing soil contaminated with raccoon feces is the most likely source of infection, the city's alert said. The 17-year-old lost sight in the right eye in January. Both are from Brooklyn.

    "Avoiding Baylisascaris means avoiding ingestion of raccoon stool," veterinarian Scott Weese of the University of Guelph wrote in his blog,     Worms & Germs, which promotes safe pet ownership.

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    Baylisascaris, Infant, Poop, Raccoon