Water Intoxication Leading to Seizures in Mother and Baby
Author Information
Author(s): Timothy H Chapman, Mark Hamilton
Primary Institution: Department of Intensive Care, St Georges Hospital, London, UK
Hypothesis
The possible causes of hyponatraemia in this patient and its similarity in symptom presentation to eclampsia.
Conclusion
Both the mother and baby made a full recovery without any long-term neurological complications.
Supporting Evidence
- The mother had a serum sodium level of 111 mmol/litre, indicating severe hyponatraemia.
- Both mother and baby experienced seizures due to low sodium levels.
- The mother was treated with hypertonic saline to safely correct her sodium levels.
- Rapid correction of sodium levels was necessary due to ongoing seizure risk.
- Both mother and baby made a full recovery without long-term complications.
Takeaway
A mom drank too much water during pregnancy, which made her and her baby have seizures, but they both got better after treatment.
Methodology
The mother was treated with hypertonic saline to correct her low sodium levels while monitoring her closely.
Limitations
The case report is based on a single patient, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
A 37-year-old primigravid Caucasian woman.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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