Run Time: 2 minutes

Author: Dr. Erik Verzemnieks

Educational Pearls:

• Caused by inhalation of spores – most common source is soil and honey.
• 50% of cases are in California followed by Pennsylvania – due to agricultural and industrial nature of the states.
• Symptoms start as poor feeding, weakness, and constipation – eventually leads to paralysis, respiratory distress and arrest – rarely gets this far, 2% of cases end in fatalities.
• Tested through stool cultures and treated with Baby botulism immune globulin (BabyBIG).

References:  https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001384.htm