Why Methylene Blue Should be Blacklisted in Neonatology

Abstract

We here present a case of neonatal skin damage due to application of methylene blue (MB) on a newborn's skin. MB use should be completely eliminated in neonatal intensive care units and nurseries, because of three potentially dangerous adverse effects of this compound: (1) It may act as an irritant when applied topically on intact skin, leading to skin reddening up to deep full-thickness eschars; (2) Is possesses photosensitizing properties, and may produce skin reddening followed by blisters and peeling after UV phototherapy; (3) It is a proscribed substance in patients affected by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, a condition not easily detected in the very first days of life.