Food poisoning, which causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever, is uncomfortable and distressing for anyone, but can be particularly dangerous to babies. Your baby's immune system is not fully developed, and he may be especially prone to complications, most notably dehydration. If you suspect that your baby has food poisoning, consult your pediatrician immediately.
Unborn Babies
Even before your baby is born, she is susceptible to food poisoning. If you eat tainted foods during pregnancy, you could contract listeria, toxoplasmosis or other types of food poisoning. A bout with salmonella or E. coli, with their trademark symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, could leave you dehydrated, which can cause pre-term contractions. Listeria can cause miscarriage, premature delivery or a stillbirth. Toxoplasmosis might not cause any symptoms in you, but can cause brain and eye problems in your unborn baby.
Specific Dangers
If your infant or toddler contracts food poisoning, the biggest danger is that he will become dehydrated. The symptoms of dehydration include excessive sleepiness, a lack of tears when crying and scant urine. Also, the soft spot in your baby's head might be sunken in. These symptoms warrant prompt medical care; call your pediatrician or head to the emergency room if you think that your baby is dehydrated. Another danger to babies and other young children is hemolytic uremic syndrome, which, MayoClinic.com warns, can lead to kidney failure. One symptom is bloody diarrhea. If you see blood in your baby's diarrhea, take him to the doctor.
Botulism
Botulism is a type of food poisoning that occurs when foods are improperly canned. Some of the symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, mimic those of other types of food poisoning, but botulism also causes muscle weakness that can lead to trouble breathing or swallowing. If you can your own fruits and vegetables, be sure to heat the food properly to kill the bacteria responsible for botulism. Babies in particular are susceptible to botulism if they eat honey. Do not give honey to a baby under 1 year of age.
Avoiding Problems
The best way to avoid food poisoning is to wash your hands thoroughly before preparing your baby's food. Also wash any fruits or vegetables that you are feeding her. Check the date of any packaged food you give your baby, including baby formula. Once you feed your baby from a jar of baby food, discard it if she does not finish it. If you don't think she'll eat the whole serving, spoon some out before putting the spoon in her mouth to avoid contaminating the food with saliva, which can allow bacteria to grow. During pregnancy, avoid eating soft cheeses, cook hot dogs to steaming hot to kill listeria bacteria and avoid eating rare meat to avoid toxoplasmosis.
