Infantile Botulism: An Atypical Case of an Uncommon Disease

• Published in: Pediatrics (Evanston) Vol. 103; no. 5; pp. 1038 - 1039
• Main Authors: Rick, James R, Ascher, David P, Smith, Robert A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elk Grove Village, IL Am Acad Pediatrics 01-05-1999; American Academy of Pediatrics
• Subjects: Babies; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the nervous system. Bacterial myositis; Biological and medical sciences; Botulism; Botulism - complications; Botulism - diagnosis; Botulism - epidemiology; Case reports; Case studies; Clostridium botulinum; Clostridium botulinum - isolation & purification; Diagnosis; Disease; Feces - microbiology; Female; Health aspects; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infant; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Muscle Hypotonia - etiology; Nervous system; Pediatrics; United States; Human; Nervous system diseases; Electrical stimulus; Clinical form; Muscular hypotonia; Muscle tonus alteration; Male; Infant; Infection; Case study; Nerve; Striated muscle disease; Botulism; Bacteriosis; Clinical investigation; Neurological disorder
• ISSN: 0031-4005; 1098-4275
• DOI: 10.1542/peds.103.5.1038

Infantile botulism often produces symptoms of constipation, flaccid muscle tone, lethargy, poor feeding, and other neurological signs in children under 6 months of age. The condition is caused by infection with Clostridium botulinum. Doctors report the case of a 9-month-old child without preceding constipation who was hospitalized for progressive loss of muscle tone. Stool testing for Clostridium botulinum was not performed until the twelfth day of hospitalization, delaying treatment.