title: [Are mydriatic eyedrops dangerous for pre-term infants?].
abstract: The funduscopic examination is essential in neonatology to screen for retinopathy in the pre-term infant. Mydriatic eyedrops, which are used for this examination, are known to induce digestive side effects. We present a case of necrotizing enterocolitis developing in a pre-term infant as a complication of mydriatics. This infant was a girl born at 28 weeks gestation and 5 days, with Down's syndrome, who died on the 44th day of life, due to necrotizing enterocolitis, after instillation of 1 drop of atropine 0.3% in each eye. The chronology of events, the application method, and the clinical symptoms of atropine impregnation argue in favor of a causal relationship between atropine and necrotizing enterocolitis. The review of the literature made on the basis of this observation shows that side effects of mydriatic eyedrops are frequent in pre-term infants and raise the question of atropine hypersensitivity in pre-term infants with Down's syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Service de néonatologie et de réa-néonatologie, CHU de Grenoble, boulevard de chantourne, 38700 La Tronche, France. mariejanaillac@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baron-Janaillac
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cneude
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bavoux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cornali
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jobert
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiacre
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Debillon
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andrini
mesh_terms: D001285:Atropine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020345:Enterocolitis, Necrotizing / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D009184:Mydriatics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy
chemical_list: D009184:Mydriatics; D001285:Atropine