All issues > Volume 10(2); 1967

Case Report

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1967;10(2):111-114. Published online February 28, 1967.

Acute Hemolytic Anemia due to Naphthalene(Report of a Case in a Newborn)

Ki Yong Sohn¹, Man Jae Lee¹, Young Ja Lim², Hee Woong Kang²

¹Department of Pediatrics,National Medical Center
²Department af Pediatrics Inchon Provincial Hospital

Abstract

A case of naphthalene poisoning is reported in a five-day-old male baby, spontaneously delivered after a normal full-term pregnancy, and with a birth weight of 3.2 kg. He was the fourth child of healthy parents. On the second day of life, he was dressed in clothing heavily impregnated with naphthalene moth-balls for about two years. On the third day, jaundice was noticed and increased gradually. On admission, the hemoglobin was 15 gm%, total bilirubin 44.3 mg (indirect 40.8 mg). He was exchange-transfused with excellent result. This unusual hemolytic process was attributed to the metabolic immaturity of newborn infants, and not to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, though a complete study was not made. A brief review of the literature is added, with emphasis of preventive measures.

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