Reactions 1385 - 21 Jan 2012

SCitalopram

Poor neonatal adaptation syndrome following inutero exposure: case report

Poor neonate adaptation syndrome occurred in a babyboy after in utero exposure to citalopram, which his motherwas receiving for depression.

The neonate was taken to an emergency departmentwith persistent grunting and jitteriness at 24 hours of life.He was in moderate respiratory distress with a RR of76 breaths/min, visible subcostal indrawing and nasalflaring, a HR of 150 beats/min and an oxygen saturation of92%; fine tremor was evident in all four limbs, and hismuscle tone was significantly increased. His bedsideglucose level was 0.34 g/L.

The boy received glucose [dextrose], and his glucoselevel normalised. However, jittery movements andhypertonia persisted; broad-spectrum antibiotics wereinitiated and he was admitted to a neonatal ICU. Onadmission, he was stabilised with continuous positiveairway pressure. Cultures were negative, and antibioticswere stopped. Respiratory distress, hypertonia andjitteriness gradually resolved, and he was discharged homeafter 3 days. His mother later reported that she had beentaking citalopram 40 mg/day throughout pregnancy. Theinfant’s development was normal at 6 months of age. Poorneonatal adaptation syndrome, also known as neonatalbehavioural syndrome, was diagnosed.Levy R, et al. Case 1: A newborn in distress. Paediatrics and Child Health 16:557-558, No. 9, Nov 2011 - Canada 803066024

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Reactions 21 Jan 2012 No. 13850114-9954/10/1385-0001/$14.95 © 2010 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved