A floppy infant

Introduction: Infant botulism is a relatively uncommon but potentially life threatening cause of a septic appearing or lethargic infant. Case Report: A 6­week­old male infant presented to the emergency department with a history of poor feeding and fever for several days. His parents reported that he had been “more sleepy than usual” and had a weak cry. He had not passed any stool for five days. He was receiving a topical home herbal remedy for whitish lesions in his mouth. The rest of his review of systems and past medical history was non­contributory. On arrival to emergency department, he was ill appearing and lethargic. His vital signs were: temperature 101 0 F, heart rate 152/min, respiratory rate 44/min and oxygen saturation 99%. He had poor muscle tone and generalized weakness. He was diagnosed with infant botulism. Conclusion: It is extremely important that the diagnosis of infant botulism be suspected and appropriately treated when any infant presents with progressive weakness. Since infant botulism is a treatable condition, prompt diagnosis is therefore important in reducing morbidity and mortality.