Neonatal Acquired Methemoglobinemia – Can Broad Spectrum Antibiotics be Implicated?

Methemoglobinemia is suspected in any cyanotic newborn, in whom cyanotic congenital heart disease and respiratory disease have been ruled out. The drugs causing acquired methemoglobinemia include those with oxidant properties such as dapsone, anesthetic agents and inhaled nitric oxide [1]. We present three cases of methemoglobinemia developing in with broad spectrum antibiotics.