A 3-Month-Old Full-Term Boy Is Brought to the Emergency Department

A 3-month-old full-term boy is brought to the emergency department for refusal to feed.  The infant has been exclusively breastfed since birth but has not been latching onto the nipple.  He has been urinating normally and usually stools 3 or 4 times a day, but his last bowel movement was several days ago.  He was previously able to hold his head up on his own but his head now seems floppy.  The patient's family recently moved to California and has been enjoying stroller walks in their newly built neighborhood.  Other than daily vitamin D supplementation, the infant has never ingested food, even honey.  Vital signs are normal.  Examination shows bilateral ptosis, sluggish pupillary reaction to light, copious drool, weak suck and gag reflexes, and head lag.  The extremities are flaccid and in extension.  What is the most likely mechanism of this patient's illness?

A) Ascending demyelinating polyneuropathy
B) Autoantibodies against acetylcholine receptors
C) Bacterial infection of the meninges
D) Degeneration of the anterior horn cells in the spinal cord
E) Ingestion of Clostridium difficile spores
F) Ingestion of Clostridium botulinum spores
G) Ingestion of preformed Clostridium botulinum toxin

Correct Answer:

Verified

Unlock this answer now
Get Access to more Verified Answers free of charge

Access For Free