Maternal Cautopyreiophagia as a Rare Cause of Neonatal Hemolysis: A Case Report

Abstract

Hyperbilirubinemia in the first 24 hours of life in a newborn is pathologic, necessitating additional evaluation. We report the first case of hemolysis and subsequent hyperbilirubinemia in an otherwise normal term neonate resulting from oxidative stress in the form of maternal cautopyreiophagia: the ingestion of burnt matchstick heads. During the third trimester of pregnancy, the infant's mother consumed more than 300 burnt matchstick heads weekly for 4 weeks. Matches contain potassium chlorate, a powerful oxidant that when ingested can ultimately lead to the destruction of erythrocytes, disseminated intravascular coagulation, kidney injury, or death. The infant's bilirubin rose as high as 17 mg/dL at 22 hours of life; however, the infant did well with a brief course of phototherapy. This case highlights the importance of prenatal questioning about maternal ingestion of potentially oxidative substances and assessing the possible risk for the infant.

Cautopyreiophagia as a Rare Variant of PICA in a Female Adolescent: A Case Report

“…This could be because the previous reports were about adult persons suffering from physical illness along with "cautopyreiophagia." 4,5 In the present case, pica was associated with anemia; iron deficiency anemia is the most commonly reported cause of pica. 7 Second, improvement in symptoms with supplementation of nutrition further strengthens the association of nutritional deficiency with pica.…”

“…In the previous case reports, the adverse consequences reported were anemia, hemodialysis, liver dysfunction, and hyperbilirubinemia. 4,5 In the present case, the patient had anemia and discoloration of teeth, along with emotional problems. This could be because the previous reports were about adult persons suffering from physical illness along with "cautopyreiophagia."…”

“…However, this decision led to its own set of unforeseen challenges later, significantly affecting multiple strata of the society. [4][5][6][7] been involved in providing psychosocial support and mental health services for disaster survivors. To further expand and strengthen these services, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India (GoI), sanctioned the Centre for Psychosocial Support in Disaster Management (CPSSDM) in August 2019.…”

“…To date, only two cases have been reported among adults. 4 , 5 The causative factors for pica range from psychosocial such as parental deprivation, mental problems, or developmental disorder to biochemical, including anemia, low zinc level, and malnutrition. 6 Here we report a case of Cautopyeriophagia , first from India, in a female adolescent aged 16 years and from the rural area.…”