Accelerated solvent extraction for the evaluation of prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse
Drug abuse is an important and worldwide problem with several health and legal connotations. The intake of these substances during pregnancy is especially critical since it affects both the mother and the growing infant. In this sense, potential effects caused by drug intake include decreased birth weight, body length and head circumference, intra-uterine growth retardation, impairment of normal fetal brain development, placental insufficiency, fetal distress, intra-uterine death, and a higher risk of premature birth. Despite the importance of this problem, epidemiological studies are scarce due to different reasons. The absence of self-reports owing to the potential negative legal consequences and the social stigma that is attached to admitting drug abuse, are the main causes. In this context, it would be interesting to develop analytical methodologies capable to detect and quantify this in-utero exposure to drugs in order to prevent negative consequences or to enable the obtaini...