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CO and Risk

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Special Groups at Risk:

Structural, Neurologic, Neuropsychologic and Psychiatric Disorders Observed in Humans Following Fetal Exposure to CO:

Morbidity / Mortality:

Abnormally low birth weight

Prematurity

Fetal demise, spontaneous abortion

Stillborn birth

Early postnatal death

Structural:

Softening in the basal ganglia

Damage to putamen, globus pallidus, striatum, red zone of substantia nigra and lateral nucleus of the thalamic area of the cortex (seen as loss of neurons)

Bilateral status marmoratus of the putamen

Damage to the centrum semiovale

Medial globus pallidus & subthalamic suffered nucleus neural loss

Microcystic cavitary degeneration of the white matter, cortex and basal ganglia

Injury to the cerebral cortex

Symmetrical temporal microgyria

Massive hemispheric destruction

Lesions in deeper layers of the grey matter

Telecephalic dysgenesis

Microcephaly

Hydrocephaly, Hydrocephalus internus

Cleft palate & lip

Oral cavity anomalies

Low set ears

Hypoplastic organ development (eg. external genitalia)

Malformations of the arms & legs

Mongoloid-type malformations

Multiple morphologic anomalies (eg. cardiac defects)

Neurologic

Hyporeflexia & areflexia (little, no reflexes)

Cyanosis

Tetraplegia

Strabismus

Athetosis

No speech

Cerebral palsy

Spasticity

Convulsions, seizures

Difficulty swallowing & sucking

Hypotonia

Behavior indicative of brain toxicity

Slight retardation in development

Minor neurologic deficits

Auditory impairment

Visual impairment

Bilateral retinal colobomata

Autism?

Neuropsychologic & Psychiatric

Mental retardation

Retardation of psychomotor development

Memory impairment

Anxiety

Emotional instability

Note: For more detailed information, contact the webmaster (E-mail = dpenney@cmb.biosci.wayne.edu), or consult the book Carbon Monoxide, 1996, by David G. Penney, Ph.D.

...... last changed 06/26/02

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