Neonatal drug depression and respiratory distress managed by positive pressure ventilation and exchange transfusion.

Clinical experiences and a review of chlormethiazole in the management of pre‐eclampsia and eclampsia

“…Although chlormethiazole crosses the placenta, it is rapidly excreted from the fetus and, therefore, any respiratory depression that occurs is likely to be shorter lived than with other drugs. Young & Rasheed (23) reported one case of severe neonatal respiratory depression following a massive dose of intravenous chlormethiazole, but this is an isolated case among the many thousands of women who have received intravenous chlormethiazole. This case was in a newborn infant of early gestation whose renal function was markedly impaired and who could not cope with a large dose of the drug.…”