Codeine intoxication in the neonate.

Although opiates can provide patients with relief from pain and the discomfort of cough, the routine prescription of these drugs for infants demands caution and concern. Infants, particularly neonates, are not merely small adults requiring smaller dosages, but rather uniquely different patients. Neonates present with an immature physiology and biochemistry with respect to drug metabolism. We report a case of codeine intoxication in the neonate, in which the drug was prescribed for cough control during an emergency department visit.