Dual Toxin Infant Botulism - Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

What Is Infant Botulism?

Infant botulism is an illness in infants caused by a bacteria, Clostridium botulinum. Clostridium botulinum is a bacteria that lives on soil and dust. Botulism may cause life-threatening symptoms sometimes. Botulism is caused by food and wound contamination. It is a rare condition that causes nerve weakness. This condition occurs when bacterial spores occur in the intestines of the infected child.

What Causes Infant Botulism?

The causes of infant botulism are:

• Infant botulism is an illness caused by the toxins or poison of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum.

• The bacteria are present in soil, dust, floors, and carpets.

• This bacteria also contaminates honey; hence should not be given to children under one year of age.

• This bacteria is harmless in adults and older kids because of the well-developed digestive system by which toxins move out of the digestive system before they cause any harm.

• Usually, infant botulism is more prevalent at three weeks to six months of age, but they are prone to the condition until their first birthday.

What Are the Different Forms of Infant Botulism?

The three different forms of infant botulism are:

• Food-Borne Botulism: The foods contaminated by the harmful Clostridium botulinum cause food-borne botulism.

• Wound Botulism: Exposed wound or cut is susceptible to the harmful Clostridium botulinum, it causes wound botulism.

• Infant Botulism: The spores of Clostridium bacteria in the intestines of infants cause infant botulism. It occurs in infants from three weeks to six months of age. This rarely occurs in adults.

What Are the Symptoms of Botulism?

Symptoms vary between individuals and also depend on the type of botulism they are infected with.

Food-Borne Botulism: Symptoms of food-borne botulism start at 12 to 36 hours of toxins getting into the body. But symptoms depend on the amount of toxin consumed and range from a few hours to a few days. Symptoms include:

• Difficulty in talking.

• Difficulty in swallowing.

• Bilateral facial weakness.

• Difficulty in breathing.

• Blurred vision or double vision.

• Drooping of eyelids.

• Paralysis.

• Nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.

Wound Botulism: The symptoms of wound botulism start about ten days after the toxin enters the infected wound or any cut. The symptoms of wound botulism are almost similar to food-borne botulism. Symptoms include:

• Difficulty in talking.

• Difficulty in swallowing.

• Bilateral facial weakness.

• Difficulty in breathing.

• Blurred vision or double vision.

• Drooping of eyelids.

• Paralysis.

Infant Botulism: Symptoms of infant botulism start 18 to 36 hours after entering the toxin into the baby’s body. Symptoms include:

• The child will have the first symptom of constipation.

• Floppy movements due to unstable neck and muscle weakness.

• Drooling of saliva.

• Drooping of eyelids.

• Trouble sucking or trouble feeding.

• Irritability.

• Weak cry.

There are other forms of botulism, like bioterrorism which is caused by the inhaling of toxins.

And the other botulism is iatrogenic botulism, caused by injecting botulinum for cosmetic purposes, which causes infection and causes iatrogenic botulism. All botulisms are not fatal, but very few are toxic.

What Are the Causes of Botulism?

The causes of botulism include:

• Food botulism is caused by improperly canned or improperly stored foods. The most commonly associated foods are fruits, vegetables, and fish. Certain other foods, such as peppers, foil-wrapped baked potatoes, and garlic-infused oil, can also cause botulism.

• Wound botulism is caused when the Clostridium bacteria infect the wound or any cut. The bacteria multiply and become toxic.

What Are the Complications of Infant Botulism?

Infant botulism as it affects muscle control in the body, and botulinum toxin causes many complications. The most immediate danger is that the affected individual may find it difficult to breathe, which is also one of the common causes of death in botulism. Other complications, which may need rehabilitation, may include:

• Breathlessness.

• Difficulty in speaking.

• Difficulty in swallowing.

• Long-term muscle weakness.

When to See a Doctor?

• Visit a medical practitioner soon after one suspects any kind of symptoms.

• Initial intervention helps to avoid further complications and increases the chance of survival.

• Getting medical care quickly can alert public care health officials and prevent others from getting infected.

• Botulism is non-contagious.

How to Prevent Food-Borne Botulism?

Microwave homemade foods at 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 Celsius) for 20 to 100 minutes; the temperature varies depending on the cooked food. Always boil the food for ten minutes before serving them. Avoid foods that are discolored or bulged, or cracked packing in order to avoid toxin or microbial growth. Refrigerate canned foods after opening them. Oils should be refrigerated soon after they are used. Throw it away after four to five days.

What Are the Treatment Options for Infant Botulism?

• Babies infected with botulism need hospital care. Usually, they are kept in intensive care units.

• The health care team will help to limit the complications caused by toxins.

• The doctor injects an intravenous antitoxin called immune globulin intravenous (BIG IV).

• The health care team will give immune globulin intravenous as soon as possible.

• The immune globulin intravenous will help in recovering as soon as possible.

• If babies' breathing muscles are affected, then the baby will be kept on a ventilator until the muscles get stronger.

• If the baby is having trouble swallowing, the baby usually gets nourishment through the intravenous or feeding tube.

Conclusion:

Dual toxin infant botulism is a condition that happens when an infant intakes any toxins of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. The bacteria are present in soil, dust, floors, and carpets. This bacteria also contaminates honey, so honey should not be given to children under one year of age. Babies infected with botulism need hospital care. Usually, they are kept in intensive care units. The health care team will help to limit the complications caused by toxins. The doctor injects an intravenous antitoxin called immune globulin intravenous (BIG IV). The health care team will give immune globulin intravenous as soon as possible. The immune globulin intravenous will help in recovering as soon as possible.