[Methemoglobinemia in a newborn infant following pudendal anesthesia in labor with prilocaine. A case report].

A genetically intact newborn suffered from methaemoglobinaemia after delivery under pudendum anaesthesia with prilocaine. Complete restitution was promoted by i.v. applied ascorbic acid and thionine. This is of special importance because in this case methaemoglobinaemia was not produced by medication of the patient herself but must be attributed to the local anaesthesia of the mother with prilocaine. The special sensitivity of newborn and infants, as well as the use of possible treatment methods as described in literature, are discussed.