Prenatal exposure to arecoline (areca nut alkaloid) and birth outcomes.
The betel nut is commonly used as a drug by Asian populations. A high prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes has been reported in women who chewed betel quid during gestation. The hypothesis that chronic exposure of the fetus to arecoline (the principal alkaloid of the areca nut) is the cause was investigated in a clinical observational study on six newborns from Asian mothers who chewed betel nut during pregnancy.
García-Algar
O
O
Paediatric Service, Unitat de Recerca Infància i Enton, Hospital del Mar, Paseo Marítimo 25-29, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. OGarciaA@imas.imim.es
Vall
O
O
Alameda
F
F
Puig
C
C
Pellegrini
M
M
Pacifici
R
R
Pichini
S
S
D001114:Areca / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000633:toxicity*; D001115:Arecoline / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008470:Meconium / Q000737:chemistry; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
D001115:Arecoline