Biomaterial Database

Diagnosing intrauterine exposure to cocaine by hair testing: six years of clinical use. 1998

G Koren, and J Klein, and K McMartin

Department of Pediatrics and The Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Canada.

Intrauterine exposure to cocaine results in a variety of perinatal and long-term neurobehavioral sequlae. Maternal history and neonatal urinalysis miss most instances of exposure. After establishing the high sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of neonatal hair testing for cocaine, the authors embarked on a study to evaluate the clinical use of the test. Between October 1991 and September 1997, they assessed the presence of cocaine in 509 hair samples; 422 were from neonates and were based on clinical suspicion of intrauterine exposure, although history and urine test results were negative. Thirty-two percent were positive, a rate fivefold higher than the incidence found by the authors in population-based studies. Neonates referred by children's aid workers had significantly higher percentages of positivity (60%). Because neonatal hair grows only during the last 4 months of pregnancy, positive neonatal hair test results reflect maternal addiction, and this warrants close follow-up of the baby after release because of the high rate of postnatal risks secondary to suboptimal parental care and because of the proven perinatal risks inflicted by the drug itself.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011248	Pregnancy Complications	Conditions or pathological processes associated with pregnancy. They can occur during or after pregnancy, and range from minor discomforts to serious diseases that require medical interventions. They include diseases in pregnant females, and pregnancies in females with diseases.	Adverse Birth Outcomes,Complications, Pregnancy,Adverse Birth Outcome,Birth Outcome, Adverse,Complication, Pregnancy,Outcome, Adverse Birth,Pregnancy Complication
D011296	Prenatal Diagnosis	Determination of the nature of a pathological condition or disease in the postimplantation EMBRYO; FETUS; or pregnant female before birth.	Diagnosis, Prenatal,Fetal Diagnosis,Fetal Imaging,Fetal Screening,Intrauterine Diagnosis,Antenatal Diagnosis,Antenatal Screening,Diagnosis, Antenatal,Diagnosis, Intrauterine,Prenatal Screening,Antenatal Diagnoses,Antenatal Screenings,Diagnosis, Fetal,Fetal Diagnoses,Fetal Imagings,Fetal Screenings,Imaging, Fetal,Intrauterine Diagnoses,Prenatal Diagnoses,Prenatal Screenings,Screening, Antenatal,Screening, Fetal,Screening, Prenatal
D005260	Female		Females
D006197	Hair	A filament-like structure consisting of a shaft which projects to the surface of the SKIN from a root which is softer than the shaft and lodges in the cavity of a HAIR FOLLICLE. It is found on most surfaces of the body.	Fetal Hair,Hair, Fetal,Lanugo,Fetal Hairs,Hairs,Hairs, Fetal
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D019970	Cocaine-Related Disorders	Disorders related or resulting from use of cocaine.	Cocaine Abuse,Cocaine Addiction,Cocaine Dependence,Abuse, Cocaine,Addiction, Cocaine,Cocaine Related Disorders,Cocaine-Related Disorder,Dependence, Cocaine,Dependences, Cocaine,Disorder, Cocaine-Related,Disorders, Cocaine-Related