A neonate born to a mother who abused phencyclidine (PCP) during the pregnancy may develop a withdrawal syndrome after delivery.
Variations:
(1) About half of infants born to PCP abusing mothers are symptomatic. This may related to the severity and frequency of maternal abuse.
(2) A mother who abuses PCP may abuse other drugs, so a withdrawal reaction may have mixed causation.
(3) Street PCP often is contaminated with other drugs which can affect symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms experienced by affected infants may mimic narcotic withdrawal with:
(1) tremors, jittery
(2) abnormal sucking (poor or excess)
(3) excessive crying
(4) excess sneezing
(5) vomiting
(6) diarrhea
(7) poor sleeping
(8) difficult to console
If the mother abused PCP shortly before delivery then the infant may show signs of intoxication with:
(1) lethargy alternating with irritability
(2) sudden agitation
(3) flapping tremors
(4) marked reaction to auditory stimuli
(5) hypertonic
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Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
