Drug abuse’s smallest victims: in utero drug exposure

Respiratory effects of chronic in utero methadone or morphine exposure in the neonatal guinea pig

“…However, infants born to women on methadone maintenance experience withdrawal symptoms of significantly greater severity than heroin exposed infants [46]. In human infants, the methadone-induced neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is characterized by hyperexcitability [46], abnormal REM sleep [17], increased sleep apnea [44], respiratory alkalosis [9], decreased sensitivity to hypercapnia [43], diarrhea, fever and central nervous system irritability, which in severe cases progresses to seizures [13]. In addition, opioid exposed infants are smaller at birth and have an increased incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which may in part be due to abnormal respiratory control [20,21].…”

Medical professionalism

“…During pregnancy, maternal smoking, heavy use of alcohol, and exposure to illicit drugs are associated with adverse fetal outcomes (Huestis and Choo 2002;Maconochie et al 2007). Low birth weight, a reflection of an adverse intrauterine environment and/or shortened gestation, may result from multiple factors and appears to be a significant determinant of health over the life course; low rates of fetal growth are associated with higher risk and higher mortality from cardiovascular disease in adult life, as well as higher rates of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, the metabolic syndrome, and adult obesity (Barker 1993;Forsén et al 2000).…”

Development and validation of a liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous analysis of 10 amphetamine-, methamphetamine- and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-related (MDMA) analytes in human meconium

“…[1] Drug exposure to the developing fetus has been associated with reduced birth weight, small head circumference, premature birth, fetal distress, potential birth defects, and perinatal complications. [2] Limited studies have considered specific adverse outcomes of human in *Correspondence address: Dr. Marilyn A. Huestis, Chemistry and Drug Metabolism, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 5500 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224 USA, Ph: +1 410 550 2711, Fax: +1 410 550 2971, Email: mhuestis@intra.nida.nih.gov. 1 Now at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA, Australia utero methamphetamine (MAMP) or amphetamine (AMP) exposure, either alone or in combination with other drugs such as cocaine.…”