Infant botulism

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Infant intestines

Infant botulism

Symptoms:

incubation period unknown
first and most frequent symptom is constipation
"floppy infant" secondary to muscle weakness (hypotonia)
tired all the time (lethargy)
weak cry (due to muscle weakness)
poor feeding and weak suck (due to muscle weakness)
loss of head control
infant doesn't gag (absent or decreased gag reflex)
respiratory distress (due to muscle weakness)
eyelids sag or partially close -- ptosis (due to muscle weakness)
descending paralysis
respiratory failure

Signs and tests:

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Physical examination shows the symptoms described above, such as decreased muscle tone (hypotonia), an absent or decreased gag reflex, absent or decreased deep tendon reflexes, and eyelid drooping (ptosis).

Laboratory testing consists of checking a stool sample to demonstrate the presence of botulinum toxin in the stool or demonstration of Clostridium botulinum in the stool.

A special muscle test known as electromyography (EMG) can help differentiate between muscle abnormalities and neurologic abnormalities.