Testing Unconventional Matrices to Monitor for Prenatal Exposure to Heroin, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Synthetic Cathinones, and Synthetic Opioids

Conclusions: Maternal hair testing is the most sensitive alternative matrix for identifying drug use during pregnancy, while drug concentrations in the meconium, placenta, and umbilical cord offer the identification of prenatal drug exposure at birth. Adverse developmental outcomes for the infant make it critical to promptly identify maternal drug use to limit fetal exposure or, if determined at birth, to provide resources to the exposed child and family. Alternative matrices offer choices for monitoring and challenge laboratories to deliver highly sensitive and specific analytical methods for detection.
Source: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Focus Series: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring During Pregnancy and Lactation Source Type: research