Why should honey not be given to infants?

Honey should not be given to infants primarily because it poses a risk of botulism. Infant botulism occurs when spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum are ingested and grow in the intestines. Honey can contain these spores, and infants, especially those younger than one year old, have immature digestive systems that cannot effectively handle these spores. This can lead to severe illnesses characterized by muscle weakness, difficulty in breathing, and other serious health complications.

While it's true that allergies, nutritional value, and obesity are concerns for children's diets, they are not specific to honey in the same way that botulism is. Allergic reactions to honey are rare, honey does contain some nutritional value, and obesity typically relates to overconsumption of sugars and calories over time rather than a single food item like honey. Thus, the primary and most significant reason to avoid giving honey to infants is the serious risk of botulism.