My grandmother said it's okay to rub honey on my cousin's 6 month old baby who is teething. But I thought honey should be ingested by babies under the age of one. Any thoughts on this?

We used to drink honey water when we were about 6 months as babies as my grandma said honey is good for lungs and has cooling effect. We all turned out fine but there weren't so many studies yet in the past. I would say it's up to your comfort level but since I already know it can be harmful (it's not just about being hyperactive from the sugar or whatever) I wouldn't take the risk. How about trying out cucumber, carrot or celery sticks instead? They serve the same purpose to relieve teething discomfort.

It is extremely dangerous to feed honey to a child under 1. It is harmless to older kids but the bacteria found in honey may be fatal to children. http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/botulism.html Your cousin can try out these methods instead, or give the child a frozen towel for relief. http://sg.theasianparent.com/5-natural-teething-remedies/

No. It's not ok. This is because honey may contain spores of bacteria that can cause botulism. These bacteria are harmless to adults and children over 1. But it can make babies, whose digestive and immune systems are less developed, seriously (and possibly fatally) sick. http://www.parents.com/advice/babies/feeding/when-can-my-baby-eat-honey/

thanks