Determination of gestational opiate, nicotine, benzodiazepine, cocaine and amphetamine exposure by hair analysis.

Hair samples were collected at time of delivery from 57 neonates whose mothers were known users of heroin (9 cases), nicotine (34 cases), benzodiazepines (11 cases), cocaine (2 cases) and amphetamine (1 case). In all cases, the corresponding drug was found in neonatal hair from the infants, with concentrations in the range 0.61-3.47 ng/mg (morphine), 0.15-11.80 ng/mg (nicotine), 3.36-17.55 ng/mg (diazepam), 0.78-31.83 ng/mg (oxazepam), 0.71-2.47 ng/mg (benzoylecgonine) and 1.21 ng/mg (amphetamine). Results are considered in the light of the existing literature and comparison with adults.