[Alcohol intoxication of children (author's transl)]

Abstract

This study is based on 116 blood alcohol estimations of intoxicated children up to 14 years of age; all these children recovered after several hours of clinical treatment. In 84 cases the data about the anamnesis, the neurological symptoms, and the clinical course could be evaluated in detail. The average age of children was 10 years; most of them (60%) were 11--14 years old. Sex distribution: 4 male: 1 female. The average blood alcohol concentration was 1.4% at the moment of blood sampling; it ranged between 0.5 and 2.9%. No constant correlation was found between the blood alcohol concentration of the children, their age, sex, and the intoxication symptoms. As a result of this study it may be stated that there seems to be no special intolerance for alcohol during infancy. Specific aspects of the alcohol intoxication of children, i.e., the rapid passage through the stadium of excitation may be explained by the very short drinking time and the relatively large amount of alcohol ingestion combined with no experience about the effects of C2H5OH.