Occult carbon monoxide poisoning in an infant

The diagnosis of occult carbon monoxide poisoning in children is a difficult problem and may be frequently overlooked. An infant with recurrent episodes of unrecognized CO exposure and subsequent neurologic deterioration is presented. A clue to the diagnosis in this case was the finding of basal ganglia abnormalities on computed tomography. Clinical findings, etiology, and treatment of CO poisoning are reviewed. We suggest that CO toxicity should be suspected in any child with acute or recurrent neurologic deterioration.