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From:
Rachel Myr <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 8 Apr 2012 15:36:23 +0200
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Apropos searching the archives: if you are using Lactnet at your
computer so you have a proper screen, few things are simpler than an
archives search.  For fun, I searched for beeswax.  First, go to the
archives - you'll find the URL at the bottom of this, and every other,
Lactnet post -  and click on 'search archives' once you've found the
icon for it in the right-hand column on the screen.  In the very first
window on the screen view you will get, write 'beeswax' which seems to
be how it is usually spelled, and certainly how it was spelled in the
recent discussion about it.
You can limit your search by date, if you are pretty sure that the
topic in question was discussed, say, this winter.  There are boxes
for dates, 'from' and 'to'.   Enter some dates of your own choosing -
I used 1 October 2011 and 8 April 2012.  Then go for it.  You'll be
rewarded with a complete list of all posts in which the word beeswax
appeared, in that period.

C.botulinum is the bacterium of concern with regard to children under
one year of age, because their guts are not so acid as to kill it.
The acidity in our stomachs kills it; the risk to adults is not from
the live bacterium, but from the toxin it can produce in less acid
media.  This toxin is heat-labile and that's why it's a good idea to
heat up home canned food. The bacterium manages just fine in
low-oxygen environments - oxygen is toxic to it, in fact. It
'hibernates' in spore form. The Wikipedia article about it is
interesting - I didn't know until just now when I read it that
C.botulinum can not use lactose as an energy source!

Here is the concluding paragraph from Wikipedia:
"Growth of the bacterium can be prevented by high acidity, high ratio
of dissolved sugar, high levels of oxygen, very low levels of moisture
or storage at temperatures below 3°C (38°F) for type A. For example in
a low acid, canned vegetable such as green beans that are not heated
hot enough to kill the spores (i.e., a pressurized environment) may
provide an oxygen free medium for the spores to grow and produce the
toxin. On the other hand, pickles are sufficiently acidic to prevent
growth; even if the spores are present, they pose no danger to the
consumer. Honey, corn syrup, and other sweeteners may contain spores
but the spores cannot grow in a highly concentrated sugar solution;
however, when a sweetener is diluted in the low oxygen, low acid
digestive system of an infant, the spores can grow and produce toxin.
As soon as infants begin eating solid food, the digestive juices
become too acidic for the bacterium to grow."

I wouldn't take this to mean that you can be cavalier about honey in
all children who are eating some complementary foods - and I think I
would advise against anything that might lead to a young child
ingesting spores.  The median lethal dose, again according to
Wikipedia, is one nanogram per kilo of body weight.  This means that
"500 grams of it would be enough to kill half of the entire human
population".  For the metrically challenged among you, 500 g is just
over one pound.

If there are any beeswax-based salves on the market meant for
breastfeeding mothers, the manufacturer should be able to provide
assurance that there is no risk of infection to the child.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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