Feeding a Baby Honey
Question
Is there ever a time to wait beyond a year for giving a child honey? What about cereals that contain honey, such as Honey Nut Cheerios?
Dr. Greene's Answer
If there is a question of immune deficiency, I like waiting longer. Otherwise, once kids have reached age 1, they are at dramatically lower risk for infant botulism (the reason we avoid honey in infants).
A small amount of honey in the cereal, or as an ingredient in any other baked good, is far less of a concern than straight, uncooked honey.
Alan Greene MD
Dr. Greene is a practicing physician, author, national and international TEDx speaker, and global health advocate. He is a graduate of Princeton University and University of California San Francisco.
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