A term baby was admitted to our neonatal unit with jitteriness, hypertonia, sneezing and fever. Her mother was on 20 mg of fluoxetine throughout her pregnancy. These symptoms which were possibly due to fluoxetine withdrawal lasted only for a short while. We attempt to look at the reported prevalence of this condition in the literature.

In a prospective study infants born to mothers with epilepsy (n = 61) were found to have an unexpectedly high incidence of congenital anomalies (26/61, 43%) and neonatal conditions (26/61, 43%) compared with controls (0/62, and 6/62, 10%, respectively). There were two neonatal deaths in the study group but none among the controls. Hypoplasia of the finger or toenails was a common congenital ano...

An infant with neonatal barbiturate withdrawal syndrome is reported. The clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of this condition are discussed. A retrospective review of fifty-three infants of barbiturate-treated epileptic mothers indicated a high incidence of "jitteriness" (17%) and feeding problems (36%) in the immediate neonatal period.

The treatment of epilepsy during pregnancy is a worldwide problem. Drugs need to be used to control seizures in the mothers. In utero, exposure to valproic acid (VPA) and phenytoin (PH) may cause congenital malformations and also withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, jitteriness and symptoms of hypoglycemia. We present here a newborn with episodic hypoglycemia due to in utero exposure to VP...

Objective: To determine the clinical manifestations of hypoglycemic neonates presenting at a tertiary care facility. Method: This was a cross sectional study conducted at neonatal unit, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi from 10th December 2013 to 9th December 2014. All hypoglycemic neonates of either gender and term gestation were enrolled. Detailed relevant history and clinical exami...

In a prospective study infants born to mothers with epilepsy (n=61) were found to have an unexpectedly high incidence of congenital anomalies (26/61, 43%) and neonatal conditions (26/61, 43%) compared with controls (0/62, and 6/62, 10%, respectively). There were two neonatal deaths in the study group but none among the controls. Hypoplasia of the finger or toenails was a common congenital anoma...

QUESTION In light of recent negative media attention to antidepressant use during late pregnancy, several of my patients have either discontinued or are considering discontinuing their antidepressant medications. How can I best counsel these patients on taking antidepressants during late pregnancy? ANSWER Antidepressant use during the third trimester has been associated occasionally with a tr...