Abstract
Accurate information on gestational, illicit drug use is important, yet difficult to obtain. An NIH funding allowed the prospective study of 52 pregnant drug users and 7 controls, throughout gestation, to determine their drug use by bimonthly interview and quantitative maternal hair [taken at enrollment (mean gestation = 18 wks), midgestation and delivery] and meconium (sampled for 3 days) analyses for cocaine (C), opiate (O) and cannabinoid (MJ) by RIA and confirmed by GC/MS. RESULTS: I. Meconium analysis had the highest sensitivity (Sn) and specificity (Sp) for C & O detection (Table). Hair analysis had as high Sn, but lower Sp (13-24% false positive) due to passive exposure. History had a 44% denial rate for C use. Hair and meconium analyses have low Sn (38-60%) for MJ detection.
II. For amount of drug used, there was significant (p<0.001) correlation between the 3 tests for C use, and between history and hair, for O and MJ use. III. For timing of drug use, women who admitted to using C or O throughout gestation showed positive hair and meconium tests in all serial samples obtained. We conclude that meconium or hair analysis can sensitively detect many aspects of C & O use during gestation; however, meconium analysis is clearly advantageous, because it is noninvasive and highly more specific. Supported by NIDA (NIH) Grant 1 RO1 DA06821-01A1.
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Ostrea, E., Knapp, K., Ostrea, A. et al. 183 A PROSPECTIVE STUDY COMPARING SYSTEMATIC INTERVIEW & ANALYSIS OF MATERNAL HAIR AND MECONIUM TO DETERMINE ILLICIT DRUG USE DURING PREGNANCY. Pediatr Res 36, 33 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00183
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00183
