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Original poster

RE: new mum and baby...

13 replies

sasslejaney84 · 19/02/2012 23:33

One of my friends (wouldn't exactly call her a close friend) had a baby girl around 4 or 5 weeks ago.

I went to see her today and something she did concerned me quite a lot, the baby started to cry after a feed (bottle fed, so probably wind) the mum picked up her dummy from the, let's say, unclean floor, dipped it in some honey and put it in the babys mouth!!!

I was put out by this and left soon after as I couldn't believe it, I've NEVER put something on a dummy (apart from teething gel on my youngest DSDks dummy as she kept biting me and I didn't know what else to do, she was 14 month at the time) for either my own DD or my DSCs!

How do I now approach this??

After I left I spoke with a mutual friend who said she had been given advice to do this, alledgedly by her HV, now I am in no way a medical professional, but I would imagine any medical professional advising against this, surely!! Putting honey on an unwashed soother, at 5/6 weeks seems wrong to me!!

Anyway over to the jury! Feel free to tell me I'm wrong and need a slap!!

OP posts:
Tortington · 19/02/2012 23:36

google tells me ....Pediatricians recommend that you do not give honey to babies under one. Apparently, botulism-causing spores can sometimes be found in honey ?

so do a google, and tell the mum

Sluttybuttons · 19/02/2012 23:36

No HV would advise honey in any shape or form before 1 year. Regardless of the condition of the floor honey is just a big loud NO

Unlurked · 19/02/2012 23:41

It's really really dangerous. I don't know the sciencey stuff behind it, I'm sure someone else here will do, but you need to tell her. Could even be a good thing that you're not that close cos she may go in the huff if she feels you're criticising her parenting but she NEEDS to know.

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Original poster
sasslejaney84 · 20/02/2012 00:28

Thanks guys, I don't see her that often to be honest, I only arranged to see her to see the new baby and take some things round that a friend had offered her but couldn't get them to her.

I'm going to have to go through a mutual friend as I don't live in the same town and now its no longer the holidays we'll be back in the routine of having the DSC etc, so its going to be difficult to get over.

I'm wondering wether or not to print out some stuff on this and pass it on, in a non-I'm-telling-you-how-to-raise-your-PFB-kinda-way?? How would you do it?? Obviously, from what's been said, it needs to be done quickly!

OP posts:
glasscompletelybroken · 20/02/2012 11:15

It's a wonder any of us survived....

Unlurked · 20/02/2012 15:20

Not everyone did survive though! I don't understand why anyone uses that argument.

glasscompletelybroken · 21/02/2012 14:55

Because we are so overprotective now and that has it's own issues.

I mean the woman is hardly an abuser - leave her alone fgs.

4madboys · 21/02/2012 15:08

no she isnt an abuser, no one is saying that but honey can KILL little babies, it is NOT recomended under the age of one for GOOD reason.

the dirty floor/dummy is neither here nor there, but honey for a baby under one and especially for a baby this young is NOT ok!

4madboys · 21/02/2012 15:12

www.bbc.co.uk/news/10225536

here a bbc article about it, it can be very serious if a young baby has honey.

Original poster
sasslejaney84 · 21/02/2012 16:29

Thank you very much for the article 4madboys!! I've sent it to her and I'm hoping this might change things for her!! I've also sent some info (including a link to this) so she can see for herself and hopefully we will be able to stop her from doing this!!

Thank you for all your help, I had no idea it was THIS serious, I knew that it wasn't right but now I'm hoping I can get this sorted!!

OP posts:
AgentProvocateur · 21/02/2012 16:36

Get some perspective - "there have been 11 cases of infant botulism in the last 30 years". When I had my last DS, 15 years ago, honey was recommended as a sweetner when weaning. And he was weaned at 8 weeks, on the HV's recommendation.

Honestly, the baby's more likely to get struck by lightning. Please don't interfere, however good your intentions - especially as you said she's not really a close friend.

4madboys · 21/02/2012 21:20

the advice re weaning has been not to wean until 4mths for the last 20yrs, so if your hv told you to wean at 8wks then she was stupid and irresponsible. even when i had ds1 almost 13yrs ago the advice was 4-6mths for weaning and it was known not to give honey then.

they discovered the problems of honey and infants in 1976 and that was when the advice was changed, most people done give honey to infants hence the low numbers of those who get ill, but those that do get ill can get seriously ill, including respirory problems so its not something thats worth taking the risk with.

littleducks · 21/02/2012 21:29

I had a special dummy that you filled from the back with honey and then sucked it out Hmm according to my mum.

Both my kids had honey at birth (though not again until 1yr) as a religious custom.

So I guess it isn't that unusual, do you think she knows about the botulism risks and has made a concious decision or has no idea? If the second maybe gently let her know, as she may have been told about it by an elderly relative for whom it was the norm, or it could have been a HV, there are so many threads on here about HVs given strange advice about bfing and weaning that go against what the NHS book says

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