NCJ Number
140920
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1993) Pages: 119-123
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Hair samples were collected at the time of delivery or 1 to 5 days after delivery from 40 neonates whose mothers were known to be smokers during the prenatal period.
Abstract
Strands of hair were simultaneously sampled from both neonates and mothers by cutting with small scissors close to the scalp. Hair was decontaminated in dichloromethane and homogenized, and nicotine was extracted in diethyl ether. After separation on a capillary column, nicotine was identified and quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy using selected ion monitoring. In all cases, nicotine was found in neonatal hair and in the hair of corresponding mothers. Nicotine levels ranged from 0.15 to 11.80 ng/mg for neonates and from 0.37 to 63.50 ng/mg for mothers. It was possible to establish a significant correlation between both concentrations; this correlation coefficient was 0.83. Findings suggest the possibility of monitoring the transfer of maternal nicotine through the placenta by measuring nicotine concentration in neonatal hair. 21 references and 1 figure