Citation

Bas AY, Demirel N, Soysal A, Arslan K, Dilmen U. Eur. J. Pediatr. 2011; 170(5): 633-637.

Affiliation

Department of Neonatology, Etlik Zubeyde Hanım Maternity and Teaching Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, yagmur32@yahoo.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00431-010-1336-y

PMID

20972685

Abstract

Methylergonovine (MEV) is a semi-synthetic ergot alkaloid used in the prevention and control of postpartum hemorrhage. This report describes 12 newborns born on the same day in a local country hospital in Turkey and developed sepsis-like symptoms and encephalopathy within the first 6 h of life due to accidental administration of MEV instead of vitamin K in the delivery room. The major features of MEV poisoning were lethargy (41.7%), seizure (75.0%), feeding intolerance (66.6%), hypoventilation (58.3%), irritability (25%), and peripheral circulatory abnormalities (58.3%). As a conclusion, clinical findings of ergot toxicity in newborns cannot be distinguished from infectious disease or neonatal encephalopathy.

Language: en