Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 3, 2026

Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development
15:27

Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development

Published on: July 13, 2014

14.3K

An unexpected clinical course in a 29-day-old infant with ethanol exposure

Hiu-Fai Fong1, Allison A Muller

  • 1From the *Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program and Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania; and †The Institute for Continuing Healthcare Education and the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

Pediatric Emergency Care
|February 4, 2014
PubMed

Insights

A 29-day-old infant survived a severe blood alcohol level from ingesting formula mixed with gin. This case highlights that infants may not show typical alcohol intoxication symptoms, necessitating prompt testing for altered mental status.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Toxicology
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Ethanol (alcohol) exposure affects pediatric populations, primarily ambulatory children and adolescents.
  • Infants are less prone to ethanol ingestion due to limited environmental exploration, but it can occur.

Observation:

  • A case report details a 29-day-old infant presenting with a blood alcohol level of 301 mg/dL.
  • The infant ingested formula prepared with gin, a rare occurrence for such a young child.

Findings:

  • Despite the extremely high blood alcohol concentration, the infant exhibited only subtle neurologic symptoms.
  • Notably, the infant did not experience hypothermia, hypoglycemia, or cardiorespiratory compromise.

Implications:

  • Ethanol-exposed infants may present with atypical or non-obvious symptoms of acute intoxication.
  • Clinicians should maintain a low threshold for blood alcohol testing in infants with altered mental status.
  • Early diagnosis of ethanol exposure is crucial for infant health and safety.

More Related Videos

Quantification of Ethanol Levels in Zebrafish Embryos Using Head Space Gas Chromatography08:22

Quantification of Ethanol Levels in Zebrafish Embryos Using Head Space Gas Chromatography

Published on: February 11, 2020

5.5K
Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder05:12

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder

Published on: June 23, 2023

1.9K

Related Concept Videos

Inborn Errors of Metabolism01:20

Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...
1.1K
Hepatic Encephalopathy01:29

Hepatic Encephalopathy

DefinitionHepatic encephalopathy is a reversible neurologic syndrome that results from advanced liver dysfunction or portosystemic shunting. It leads to disturbances in cognition, behavior, and motor function due to the brain’s exposure to gut-derived toxins that the liver fails to detoxify.EtiologyThis condition develops either in the setting of acute fulminant hepatitis or progressively during chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Portosystemic...
53