title: Obstetrical medication and the newborn infant. II: The influence of meperidine (pethidine) on visual behaviour.
abstract: The visual fixation of two groups of healthy newborn infants was tested at a mean age of three days. Mothers of the infants in one group received a single dose of meperidine (pethidine) during labour and delivery; those in the second group received no medication. Unlike infants of mothers who received a single dose of alphaprodine hydrochloride in a previous study, there were no differences between the groups in the present study. Moreover, longer drug-to-delivery intervals did not appear to potentiate the effects of meperidine. A single dose of meperidine appears to have few effects on neonates' sensory functioning, which is contrary to other reports.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000522:Alphaprodine; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008614:Meperidine; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000522:Alphaprodine; D008614:Meperidine