Cardiorespiratory depression and hyperglycemia after unintentional ingestion of brimonidine in a neonate.

Purpose: Brimonidine is a third-generation selective alpha-2 adrenergic agonist that lowers intraocular pressure by decreasing aqueous humor production and increasing uveoscleral flow. Its safety profile for children <2 years of age remains unknown.

Methods: We describe a case of ingestion of a single drop of brimonidine 0.2% in a newborn, resulting in sedation, cardiorespiratory depression, and hyperglycemia within minutes.

Conclusions: This report adds to the existing evidence that brimonidine can have serious adverse side effects and should therefore be used with extreme caution in infants <2 years of age. Additionally,safety procedures like double-checking should also include vitamins or oral supplements to improve medication safety in the neonatal intensive care unit.