Methanol poisoning during late pregnancy.

A 26-year-old woman ingested 250 to 500 mL methanol during the 38th week of pregnancy. The initial serum methanol concentration was 230 mg/dL and formate was 33.6 mg/dL. A mild metabolic acidosis was present. As gynecologic examination and fetal monitoring failed to detect fetal distress, it was decided to give tocolytic therapy until the treatment of methanol poisoning could be achieved in the mother. Therapy included ethanol infusion, bicarbonate administration and three courses of hemodialysis. Delivery occurred six days after methanol exposure, when methanol was no longer detected in maternal blood. No further complications were noted in the mother and her newborn. To our knowledge, there is no other case of methanol poisoning during pregnancy in the literature.