Fetal distribution of cocaine: case analysis.

The implications of gestational cocaine use are widely documented. There is evidence that cocaine crosses the placenta in animals and humans; however, the fetal distribution of the drug and its metabolites has not been documented. We describe the distribution of cocaine and benzoylecgonine (BE) in the fetus of a cocaine user mother. Cocaine and BE were detected in brain, scalp, liver, kidney, heart, placenta, blood, and hair. The liver contained substantially more cocaine than other tissues, whereas the brain had more BE than any other sample.