Chloral Hydrate 81without evidence developing that the drug causes cancer. The cancer-causing
potential in humans is uncertain.
Pregnancy.Chloral hydrate passes from a pregnant woman into the fetus
but is not considered a cause of birth defects. Infants born to such women are,
however, more likely to have a condition called hyperbilirubinemia, which
can lead to jaundice. Some investigators also believe that administering the
drug to infants after birth causes hyperbilirubinemia. The compound passes
into the milk of a nursing mother, enough to slightly sedate the infant.
Additional scientific information may be found in:
Butler, T.C. “The Introduction of Chloral Hydrate into Medical Practice.”Bulletin of the
History of Medicine44 (1970): 168–72.
Miller, R.R., and D.J. Greenblatt. “Clinical Effects of Chloral Hydrate in Hospitalized
Medical Patients.”Journal of Clinical Pharmacology19 (1979): 669–74.
Robinson, J.T. “A Case of Chloral Hydrate Addiction.”International Journal of Social
Psychiatry12 (1966): 66–71.
Sellers, E.M., et al. “Interaction of Chloral Hydrate and Ethanol in Man. II. Hemodyn-
amics and Performance.”Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics13 (1972): 50–58.
Sourkes, T.L. “Early Clinical Neurochemistry of CNS-Active Drugs. Chloral Hydrate.”
Molecular and Chemical Neuropathology17 (1992): 21–30.
Steinberg, A.D. “Should Chloral Hydrate Be Banned?”Pediatrics92 (1993): 442–46.