title: Detection of cotinine in neonate meconium as a marker for nicotine exposure in utero.
abstract: Neonate meconium cotinine level was evaluated as a marker of prenatal exposure to nicotine from tobacco smoking by mothers. Mothers admitted to a maternity hospital in Alexandria, Egypt, were divided into 3 groups: 10 active smokers, 10 passive smokers and 10 with no tobacco exposure during pregnancy. Urine and saliva samples were collected from mothers and first-day meconium samples from their neonates. Mean maternal urinary cotinine levels, measured using radioimmunoassay, differed significantly between the 3 groups, as did mean salivary cotinine and mean cotinine levels in meconium. There was a significant positive correlation between cotinine levels in meconium and both maternal urinary and salivary cotinine levels. Meconium is an ideal biological marker for testing direct fetal exposure to tobacco smoke in the neonatal period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Sherif
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kamel
authors.forename: O S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Al-Ashkar
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Sharaki
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Seif
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Hegazy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D001724:Birth Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003367:Cotinine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000652:urine; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008470:Meconium / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D003367:Cotinine