Abstract
We report a 3½-month-old infant with trisomy 21 presenting with galactorrhea in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Endocrine work-up showed a high prolactin level (64.4 ng ml−1—normal: 0.5 to 30 ng ml−1). Cessation of therapy with metoclopramide (0.2 mg kg−1 per dose q 6 h) resulted in the resolution of galactorrhea with a decrease in serum prolactin level (20.1 ng ml−1). We present this case to highlight this uncommon side effect of a commonly used medication in the NICU.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Forbes TR . Witch's milk and witches’ marks. Yale J Biol Med 1950; 22: 219–225.
Madlon-Kay DJ . ‘Witch's milk’. Galactorrhea in the newborn. Am J Dis Child 1986; 140: 252–253.
McKiernan JF, Hull D . Breast development in the newborn. Arch Dis Child 1981; 56: 525–529.
Lee C, Robertson J, Shilkofski N . Drug doses—The Harriet Lane Handbook, 17th edn. Elsevier Mosby: Philadelphia, 2005.
McKiernan JF, Hull D . Prolactin, maternal oestrogens, and breast development in the newborn. Arch Dis Child 1981; 56: 770–774.
Gluckman PD, Ballard PL, Kaplan SL, Liggins GC, Grumbach MM . Prolactin in umbilical cord blood and the respiratory distress syndrome. J Pediatr 1978; 93: 1011–1014.
Sultan C, Bonardet A, Bonnal B, Descomps B, De Kerleau JC, Bonnet H et al. [Plasma prolactin levels in normal children from birth to adolescence]. C R Seances Soc Biol Fil 1977; 171: 131–135.
Parks JS, Felner EI . Hormones of the hypothalamus and pituitary. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF (eds). Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. Elsievier: Philadelphia, 2007.
Hibbs AM, Lorch SA . Metoclopramide for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease in infants: a systematic review. Pediatrics 2006; 118: 746–752.
Clark RH, Bloom BT, Spitzer AR, Gerstmann DR . Reported medication use in the neonatal intensive care unit: data from a large national data set. Pediatrics 2006; 117: 1979–1987.
Malcolm WF, Gantz M, Martin RJ, Goldstein RF, Goldberg RN, Cotten CM . Use of medications for gastroesophageal reflux at discharge among extremely low birth weight infants. Pediatrics 2008; 121: 22–27.
Arroyo H, Aubert L . [Galactorrhoea following metoclopramide treatment]. Presse Med 1971; 79: 1859.
Ehrenkranz RA, Ackerman BA . Metoclopramide effect on faltering milk production by mothers of premature infants. Pediatrics 1986; 78: 614–620.
Hyams JS, Leichtner AM, Zamett LO, Walters JK . Effect of metoclopramide on prolonged intraesophageal pH testing in infants with gastroesophageal reflux. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1986; 5: 716–720.
Tolia V, Calhoun J, Kuhns L, Kauffman RE . Randomized, prospective double-blind trial of metoclopramide and placebo for gastroesophageal reflux in infants. J Pediatr 1989; 115: 141–145.
Craig WR, Hanlon-Dearman A, Sinclair C, Taback S, Moffatt M . Metoclopramide, thickened feedings, and positioning for gastro-oesophageal reflux in children under two years. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004 CD003502.
Madani S, Tolia V . Gynecomastia with metoclopramide use in pediatric patients. J Clin Gastroenterol 1997; 24: 79–81.
Young T, Mangum B . Neofax 2008. Thomson Reuters Healthcare: Montvale, NJ, 2008; 8: 222.
van der Steen M, Du Caju MV, Van Acker KJ . Gynecomastia in a male infant given domperidone. Lancet 1982; 2: 884–885.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Paturi, B., Ryan, R., Michienzi, K. et al. Galactorrhea with metoclopramide use in the neonatal unit. J Perinatol 29, 391–392 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2008.246
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2008.246