title: Feto-placental morphological effects of prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse.
abstract: The aim of the study was to find morphological changes in the feto-placental unit due to prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse. A blind histomorphometric study was performed using 225 placentas. Based on meconium testing, the fetuses were classified as exposed or unexposed to opiates, cocaine, cannabis or alcohol. To establish prenatal tobacco exposure, cotinine in cord blood was analyzed. At the microscopic level a non statistically significant reduction of placental vascularization was observed in cocaine, opiates and alcohol using mothers. In addition, alcohol-consuming mothers did not present with larger placental vessel diameter than controls. Prenatal use of cocaine and tobacco was associated with a decrease in newborn weight and length. Furthermore, tobacco use was associated with a higher rate of previous abortions. In conclusion, placentas from mothers using tobacco, cocaine, opiates or alcohol during pregnancy present vasculature changes that may explain the adverse perinatal outcomes in their newborns.
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Recerca Infància i Entorn (URIE), Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica-(IMIM)-Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ortigosa
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Friguls
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Joya
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mariñoso
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alameda
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vall
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Garcia-Algar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002188:Cannabis; D003042:Cocaine; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009294:Narcotics; D009357:Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D009294:Narcotics; D003042:Cocaine