Neonatal baclofen withdrawal following intrauterine exposure

Pregnant women with spinal cord injuries are often advised to continue oral baclofen during pregnancy to manage spasticity, though the potential for adverse events in neonates is not well understood.

Here, a case is described in which a male neonate with intrauterine baclofen exposure, born at 34 3/7 weeks via Cesarean section, demonstrated a two-minute episode of extensor posturing at fifteen minutes of life possibly concerning for baclofen withdrawal. His mother had taken baclofen 30 milligrams orally four times per day throughout pregnancy for management of spasticity associated with a remote cervical spinal cord injury. Due to concern for possible withdrawal, the neonate was started on a baclofen taper beginning within hours of birth while evaluation for alterative etiologies was underway. Symptoms were monitored using the Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scale. The neonate tolerated the baclofen taper well and was successfully tapered off by the fourteenth day of life with full resolution of symptoms and no apparent neurologic deficits.

Further research is needed to assess the incidence of neonatal baclofen withdrawal with regard to maternal dosage and route of administration, and to determine the most appropriate monitoring and management protocols for the neonate.