I. Arad et al., NEONATAL LIMB ISCHEMIA FOLLOWING MATERNAL INDOMETHACIN TREATMENT IN TWIN PREGNANCIES, Journal of perinatal medicine, 23(6), 1995, pp. 487-491
The prenatal administration of indomethacin in obstetric management ha
s been implicated as a cause of neonatal cardio-pulmonary, gastrointes
tinal and renal complications. The present report describes two cases
of twin pregnancy resulting in premature delivery at the 33rd and 30th
week following prolonged maternal indomethacin treatment for 9 and 4
weeks respectively. Neonatal cardiovascular and renal complications we
re observed and an unusual severe ischemia of a lower limb occured in
each of the first twins following insertion of an umbilical arterial l
ine. It is suggested that prolonged ante natal exposure to the drug ma
y increase the systemic arterial constrictive reactivity in some newbo
rn infants and that special caution should be exercised during arteria
l catheterization of susceptible cases.