Reactions 1374 - 22 Oct 2011

SCarbamazepine

Fetal carbamazepine syndrome after in uteroexposure: case report

A female neonate was born with fetal carbamazepinesyndrome after in utero exposure to carbamazepine, andlater died.

The girl was born by Caesarean section after 36.6 weeks’gestation to a 33-year-old mother with epilepsy. Themother had taken oral carbamazepine 400 mg/daythroughout the pregnancy. The girl showed abnormalitiesincluding generalised hypotrophy, a long head and narrowforehead, abnormal facial features, kyphosis, hypoplasticnails and a lumbosacral myelomeningocele. Neurologicalexamination revealed hyporeactivity, lack of rooting andsuckling reflexes, absent deep tendon reflexes in her legs,and absent anal tone.

She developed respiratory distress soon after birth, andwas intubated. An echocardiogram revealed pulmonaryhypertension. Infection was suspected, and the girl wasstarted on antibacterials. A blood count revealedneutropenia. On day 7 of life, she developed refractoryrespiratory alkalosis and died.

Author comment: "We describe a newborn with severalcongenital malformations that died within the first week oflife due to the severity of the abnormalities probably causedby in utero exposure to this drug."Bravo A, et al. Severe consequences of carbamazepine exposure in utero. BMJCase Reports : [3 pages], 2011. Available from: URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr.05.2011.4243 - Mexico 803061635

1

Reactions 22 Oct 2011 No. 13740114-9954/10/1374-0001/$14.95 © 2010 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved