Severe rhinorrhea and respiratory distress in a neonate exposed to fluphenazine hydrochloride prenatally.
OBJECTIVE
To report a case of respiratory distress with severe rhinorrhea in a newborn exposed prenatally to fluphenazine hydrochloride.


METHODS
The safety of phenothiazines during pregnancy and the effect on the fetus and newborn are not well known. We describe a newborn who had severe rhinorrhea, vomiting, and respiratory distress after being exposed in utero to fluphenazine hydrochloride. Sepsis, choanal atresia, and congenital syphilis were excluded as causative factors for rhinorrhea. The rhinorrhea and upper airway obstruction responded to treatment with pseudoephedrine.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe rhinorrhea, vomiting, and respiratory distress that occurred in this infant have not been reported previously following prenatal fluphenazine hydrochloride exposure. Awareness of this problem would be helpful to clinicians and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of rhinorrhea in newborns.
Nath
S P
SP
Department of Pediatrics, La Grange Memorial Hospital, IL, USA.
Miller
D A
DA
Muraskas
J K
JK
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005476:Fluphenazine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism*; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000473:pathology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D005476:Fluphenazine