LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kate Mitchell is an active baby. She loves to play music and to roll. She was born this past December. Her mom and dad, Curtis and Taylor Mitchell, are first-time parents. When Kate was just three months old, her parents noticed something was off.
Her mom, Taylor Mitchell, explains, "She slowly began eating less and less. And hadn't had a bowel movement in several weeks. So, we grew very concerned, contacted our pediatrician who then sent us to Kentucky Children's Hospital and from there, she was diagnosed with infantile botulism, and it attacked her nerve endings."
Infant botulism is a potentially life-threatening illness. Madison County Health Department recently identified two cases of the disease in infants and is warning parents to be mindful of the symptoms. It can cause trouble breathing and paralysis.
Taylor says, "When it attacked the nerve endings, she was basically paralyzed. She couldn't cry, she couldn't do anything. Like I said, she was on a feeding tube and as she started to get better, she began to work with OT, PT, and speech."
Kate had to be treated at the children’s hospital for several weeks. Madison County Health Department says that botulism can be very serious or even deadly, caused by a bacteria that targets nerves in the body.
MedlinePlus says that botulism mostly occurs in infants between six weeks and six months old. Swallowing honey and being around contaminated soil can increase the risk for infants. It can also happen when babies eat contaminated food. Kate is now fully recovered.
These parents say that they want to use this scary experience as a way to help other parents going through the same thing.
Taylor shares, "To us, she's our world and if we can bring awareness to botulism and our darkest days can help spread awareness and help others that are going through this nightmare in the slightest way then to us, that gives us some peace in all that she has endured."
This family is grateful for their baby's recovery and says they'll be there to support the Madison County families.
