It used to be thought that honey was the top cause of infant botulism, because botulism spores are found in honey, and because lots of babies ate honey, including those who got botulism. However…

When word spread to avoid honey for babies, honey consumption plummeted, especially before solids were introduced. But the botulism rate and typical age didn’t change as people had hoped.

Botulism spores are widespread, especially in soil, and especially in certain states (e.g. California, Utah, Pennsylvania – where infant botulism rates are highest). It’s now thought that most cases of infant botulism are environmental, not from honey.

So, you asked how many babies have had botulism from honey, and the answer must be fewer than the total 79 cases of infant botulism a year. Probably it’s far fewer than half that number.

Honey has probably gotten a bad rap. I’m not recommending that babies eat honey – but I doubt botulism rates would go up appreciably if they did. Especially if parents avoided honey in the first 6 months, when there are many foods they might want to avoid.