A Case of Hypernatremic Dehydration in an Exclusively Breast-Fed Newborn Infant

Sporadic reports of hypernatremic dehydration in breastfed newborn infants have appeared in medical literature for at least 3 decades. We report the first case of hypernatremic dehydration resulting from inadequate breast-feeding in Korea. A 14-day old baby, born to a mentally retarded mother, was transferred to our hospital with a body weight loss of 460 g since birth(17%) and a serum sodium(Na) level of 179 mEq/L, after initial hydration at another hospital. On admission, a cardiac murmur was heard and an enlarged liver was palpated. Cardiac ultrasonogram revealed ventricular septal defect and ostium secundum atrial septal defect. During hydration, a seizure-like attack developed. Serum Na decreased to 135 mEq/L on the 5th day of admission. Brain ultrasonography and brain magnetic resonance image revealed no remarkable abnormalities. Electroencephalography was normal. She suffered from prerenal azotemia, hyperglycemia and disseminated intravascular coagulation at admission but was treated successfully. Heart failure was also controlled with dobutamine, diuretics and digoxin.

모유수유 신생아에게 발생한 고나트륨혈성 탈수증 1례

모유 수유아에 발생하는 고나트륨혈성 탈수는 드물기는 하나 지난 30년 동안 꾸준히 보고되어 왔다. 저자들은 모유 수유 부족에 의한 고나트륨혈성 탈수를 보인 생후 14일된 여아를 경험하였다. 내원시 환아는 17%의 체중 감소가 있었고, 혈청 나트륨농도는 179 mEq/L였으며, 전신성 요독증, 고혈당증, 범발성 혈관내 응고증, 심부전 소견있었으나 치료 후 교정되었으며, 탈수 교정 중 경련을 보였으나 두부 초음파 및 뇌자기공명영상 검사에 뇌부종, 출혈 등 이상 소견은 없었고, 환아 현재 정상적인 발달을 하고 있기에 문헌 고찰상 이 증례는 모유 수유 중 발생한 고나트륨혈성 탈수의 첫 증례로 생각되어 보고하는 바이다.