Arch. Dis. Child

HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER
[Advanced]

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Read responses to this article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this link to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in ADC Online
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Add article to my folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bar-Oz, B
Right arrow Articles by Koren, G
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bar-Oz, B
Right arrow Articles by Koren, G
Topic Collections
Right arrowRelevant Article
Archives of Disease in Childhood Fetal and Neonatal Edition 2003;88:F98
© 2003 Archives of Disease in Childhood Fetal and Neonatal Edition


ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Comparison of meconium and neonatal hair analysis for detection of gestational exposure to drugs of abuse

B Bar-Oz1,2, J Klein1, T Karaskov1, G Koren1

1 The Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
2 Department of Neonatology, Hadassah Medical Center and The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Koren, Director, Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada;
gkoren{at}sickkids.ca

Background: Meconium and hair are two biological markers of in utero exposure to illicit drugs.

Objective: To compare the sensitivity of the two tests for different drugs.

Setting: Motherisk laboratory which tests in utero drug exposure in Toronto.

Methods: Cocaine, benzoylecgonine, opiates, cannabis, benzodiazepines, methadone, and barbiturates were measured in pairs of hair and meconium samples from the same neonates.

Results: Meconium was marginally more sensitive than neonatal hair for detection of cocaine and cannabis, possibly because it may detect second trimester exposure whereas hair grows only during the third trimester of pregnancy. There was a significant correlation between hair and meconium concentrations of cocaine, cannabis, and opiates.

Conclusion: In cases of clinical suspicion and a negative neonatal urine test, both meconium and hair are effective biological markers of in utero illicit drug exposure. Meconium may be more sensitive, but neonatal hair is available for three months whereas meconium is available for only one or two days. In contrast, the use of meconium, being a discarded material, is more acceptable to some parents than hair testing, which entails cutting scalp hair from the newborn.


Keywords: drug exposure; hair analysis; meconium analysis


Relevant Article

Fantoms
Ben Stenson
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2003 88: F80. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
CLIN PEDIATRHome page
F. Garcia-Bournissen, F. Asrar, Z. Verjee, T. Karaskov, and G. Koren
Contamination of Hair With 3,4-Methylene Dioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy) in 2 Young Girls from a "Meth Lab"
Clinical Pediatrics, March 1, 2008; 47(2): 186 - 188.
[PDF]


Home page
Clin. Chem.Home page
R. S. Goodwin, D. G. Wilkins, O. Averin, R. E. Choo, J. R. Schroeder, D. R. Jasinski, R. E. Johnson, H. E. Jones, and M. A. Huestis
Buprenorphine and Norbuprenorphine in Hair of Pregnant Women and Their Infants after Controlled Buprenorphine Administration
Clin. Chem., December 1, 2007; 53(12): 2136 - 2143.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed.Home page
F Garcia-Bournissen, B Rokach, T Karaskov, and G Koren
Methamphetamine detection in maternal and neonatal hair: implications for fetal safety
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., September 1, 2007; 92(5): 351 - 355.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Arch. Dis. Child.Home page
J A Ortega Garcia, D Carrizo Gallardo, J Ferris i Tortajada, M M P Garcia, and J O Grimalt
Meconium and neurotoxicants: searching for a prenatal exposure timing
Arch. Dis. Child., August 1, 2006; 91(8): 642 - 646.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed.Home page
S Williamson, L Jackson, C Skeoch, G Azzim, and R Anderson
Determination of the prevalence of drug misuse by meconium analysis.
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., July 1, 2006; 91(4): F291 - F292.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
PediatricsHome page
M. E. Abdel-Latif, J. Pinner, S. Clews, F. Cooke, K. Lui, and J. Oei
Effects of breast milk on the severity and outcome of neonatal abstinence syndrome among infants of drug-dependent mothers.
Pediatrics, June 1, 2006; 117(6): e1163 - e1169.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed.Home page
C A Kuschel, L Austerberry, M Cornwell, R Couch, and R S H Rowley
Can methadone concentrations predict the severity of withdrawal in infants at risk of neonatal abstinence syndrome?
Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed., September 1, 2004; 89(5): F390 - F393.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NeoReviewsHome page
D. Chan, J. Klein, and G. Koren
New Methods for Neonatal Drug Screening
NeoReviews, September 1, 2003; 4(9): e236 - 244.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
BMJHome page
H. Marcovitch
BMJ family highlights
BMJ, April 12, 2003; 326(7393): 785 - 785.
[Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Ethical aspects of paper of Bar-Oz et al.
T L Chambers
Fetal Neonatal Ed. Online, 5 Mar 2003 [Full text]
Author's reply
Gideon Koren, et al.
Fetal Neonatal Ed. Online, 6 Mar 2003 [Full text]



HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER
ARCH DIS CHILD FETAL NEONATAL ED ED PRACTICE
Terms and conditions relating to subscriptions purchased online  ¦  Website terms and conditions  ¦  Privacy policy
Copyright © 2003 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health