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


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Bar-Oz
B
B
The Motherisk Program, Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Klein
J
J
Karaskov
T
T
Koren
G
G
D002188:Cannabis; D003042:Cocaine / Q000032:analysis; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000032:analysis*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008470:Meconium / Q000737:chemistry*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000032:analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D009294:Narcotics; D003042:Cocaine