gray baby syndrome

gray syndrome

 [gra]

a potentially fatal condition seen in neonates, particularly premature infants, due to a reaction to chloramphenicol, characterized by an ashen gray cyanosis, listlessness, weakness, and hypotension. Called also gray baby syndrome.

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

gray syn·drome

, gray baby syndrome

gray appearance of an infant at birth and during the neonatal period that can be caused by transplacental toxic effects of the drug chloramphenicol taken by the mother during late pregnancy; the syndrome may be fatal.

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

A condition that may occur when chloramphenicol levels exceed 70 µg/mL; premature infants are most susceptible, given their limited capacity to glucuronidate and excrete chloramphenicol, the functional deficiency in glucuronyl transferase activity corrects itself within the first 3–4 wks of life; high levels of chloramphenicol inhibit mitochondrial electron transport, disrupting energy metabolism; in children < 1 month of age, doses should be 25 mg/kg
Lab Clourimetry, GLC, HPLC, microbiologic, radioenzymatic methods

Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

gray syn·drome

, gray baby syndrome (grā sin'drōm, bā'bē)

Ashen appearance of an infant at birth and during the neonatal period that can be caused by transplacental toxic effects of the drug chloramphenicol taken by the mother during late pregnancy; the syndrome may be fatal.

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012