Bioanalysis during pregnancy: recent advances and novel sampling strategies

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Public Health

Background:

• Prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse, tobacco, and alcohol presents a significant public health challenge with substantial economic implications for healthcare systems.
• Objective measurement of in utero drug exposure relies on determining drug and/or metabolite presence in biological matrices from both mother and newborn.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review analytical methods for determining in utero drug exposure published between 2007 and 2014.
• To emphasize methods focusing on meconium, placenta, umbilical cord, and newborn hair.
• To highlight the importance of accurate bioanalytical procedures for clinical interventions and outcome correlations.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of published literature from 2007 to 2014.
• Focus on analytical techniques for drug and metabolite determination in neonatal biological samples.
• Inclusion of methods for analyzing meconium, placenta, umbilical cord, and newborn hair.

Main Results:

• Identified and reviewed various analytical methods for detecting prenatal drug exposure.
• Highlighted the utility of specific biological matrices (meconium, placenta, umbilical cord, hair) for retrospective analysis.
• Emphasized the need for high-quality data derived from accurate bioanalytical procedures.

Conclusions:

• Accurate bioanalytical methods are essential for reliable assessment of in utero drug exposure.
• High-quality data are critical for effective clinical interventions and understanding the correlation between exposure and clinical outcomes.
• Understanding the clinical implications of prenatal drug exposure underscores the necessity of robust analytical methodologies.