1 Children's Hospital Medical Center, Oakland, CA 94609
Recently Chhattriwalla et al1 reported the use of cimetidine, a competitive antagonist to H2 histamine receptors, for treatment of reflux esophagitis and gastroduodenal ulcer disease in neonates. The authors correctly point out that the only common major side effect to this drug in adults, seen primarily with chronic administration, is a state of mental confusion.2 However, we feel it is important to point out that there is one major contraindication to cimetidine in neonates which we would not expect to find in adults or children.