Question:
Which of the following antibiotics, if administered to a premature infant, can cause grey baby syndrome?
Which of the following antibiotics, if administered to a premature infant, can cause grey baby syndrome?
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Think about the antibiotic that a premature infant's liver cannot break down well.
Updated On: Jul 7, 2026
- Tetracycline
- Chloramphenicol
- Clindamycin
- Netilmycin
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question.
Grey baby syndrome is a serious drug reaction seen in newborns, especially premature ones. The question asks which antibiotic causes it.
Step 2: Key Concept.
Chloramphenicol needs to be broken down in the liver by an enzyme called glucuronyl transferase before the body can clear it. Premature infants have very little of this enzyme, so the drug builds up in the blood to toxic levels.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
Tetracycline in infants mainly stains growing teeth and can slow bone growth, not grey baby syndrome.
Chloramphenicol builds up because premature livers cannot conjugate it well. High levels stop mitochondria from working properly in many organs, causing vomiting, low body temperature, grey skin color, floppy muscle tone, and circulatory collapse. This full picture is grey baby syndrome.
Clindamycin mainly causes diarrhea and, rarely, bowel inflammation, not this syndrome.
Netilmycin is an aminoglycoside, and its main risks are damage to hearing and to the kidneys, not grey baby syndrome.
Step 4: Final Answer.
Chloramphenicol is the antibiotic that causes grey baby syndrome in premature infants.
Grey baby syndrome is a serious drug reaction seen in newborns, especially premature ones. The question asks which antibiotic causes it.
Step 2: Key Concept.
Chloramphenicol needs to be broken down in the liver by an enzyme called glucuronyl transferase before the body can clear it. Premature infants have very little of this enzyme, so the drug builds up in the blood to toxic levels.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
Tetracycline in infants mainly stains growing teeth and can slow bone growth, not grey baby syndrome.
Chloramphenicol builds up because premature livers cannot conjugate it well. High levels stop mitochondria from working properly in many organs, causing vomiting, low body temperature, grey skin color, floppy muscle tone, and circulatory collapse. This full picture is grey baby syndrome.
Clindamycin mainly causes diarrhea and, rarely, bowel inflammation, not this syndrome.
Netilmycin is an aminoglycoside, and its main risks are damage to hearing and to the kidneys, not grey baby syndrome.
Step 4: Final Answer.
Chloramphenicol is the antibiotic that causes grey baby syndrome in premature infants.
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