Neonatal Botulism: A Case Series Suggesting Varied Presentations

Authors

• David E. Horvat, Department of Neurology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
• Philip G. Eye, Department of Pediatrics, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.
• Mathew T. Whitehead, Division of Neuroradiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Diana Bharucha-Goebel, Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, National Institute of Neurological Disroders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Division of Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Neurology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia.
• Emmeline Roth, Division of Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Neonatal Neurology Program, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia.
• Tayyba Anwar, Division of Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Neurology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Neonatal Neurology Program, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Division of Neurophysiology, Epilepsy, and Critical Care, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia.
• Tammy Tsuchida, Division of Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Neurology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Neonatal Neurology Program, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Division of Neurophysiology, Epilepsy, and Critical Care, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia.
• Youssef A. Kousa, Division of Neurology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Pediatrics, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Neurology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia; Neonatal Neurology Program, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Division of Neurophysiology, Epilepsy, and Critical Care, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia; Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia. Electronic address: ykousa@childrensnational.org.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

9-1-2023

Journal

Pediatric neurology

Volume

146

DOI

10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2023.06.004

Keywords

Botulinum toxin; Botulism; Neonatal; Neuromuscular; Respiratory distress

Abstract

Infantile botulism is an uncommon diagnosis and rarer still in the neonatal period. We describe three cases of neonatal-onset botulism that presented with symptoms typically (hypotonia, constipation, facial diplegia) or atypically seen in older infants (encephalopathy, seizures, and hypothermia). Our series shows a wider spectrum of clinical presentations in patients with neonatal-onset botulism. Our report also suggests that neonatal-onset botulism should be considered more broadly in the hypotonic infant, especially as the condition is treatable with intravenous botulinum-specific immune globulin.

APA Citation

Horvat, David E.; Eye, Philip G.; Whitehead, Mathew T.; Bharucha-Goebel, Diana; Roth, Emmeline; Anwar, Tayyba; Tsuchida, Tammy; and Kousa, Youssef A., "Neonatal Botulism: A Case Series Suggesting Varied Presentations" (2023). GW Authored Works. Paper 3490.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/3490

Department

Pediatrics