Information on cholera during the neonatal period is scarce in standard pediatric texbooks. OBJECTIVE: To determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of cholera of hospitalized newborns at the ISN from 1991 to 1994. METHOD: Descriptive and retrospective study of the patients. RESULTS: All patients were male, with age ranging from 4 to 28 days at on set of symptoms, they had diarrhoea, 4 reported the watery stools described in adults. All had positive cultures for V. cholerae 01, 4 of the Inabe serotype and 2 of Ogawa. All of them presented inespecific symptoms of sepsis, had received cow's milk formula prepared with unboiled or non potable water. This water was used also to wash the utensils. All had contacts with sick family members (in 4 this was the mother. There was hyponatremia in 3 cases; hipokalemia in 3, increased serum creatinina in all. The six neonates received parenteral fluids and survived. CONCLUSIONS: During epidemics the possibility of cholerae in neonates must be considered. The use of unboiled or non potable water in formula bottles is the transmission vehicle.