[Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) intoxication in a 2-year-old child]

Abstract

Plant intoxications account for 5% of all intoxication cases according to French anti-poison centers. We report an uncommon case of intoxication with deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) in a 2-year-old child. The child presented at the ER with an atropinic syndrome, both central and peripheral, after ingestion of wild berries a few hours before. The fruit and leaves brought in by the mother allowed the anti-poison center to identify belladonna, in agreement with clinical findings. The child was kept in the intensive care unit for 48 h and progression was favorable with symptomatic treatment.