Recreational drugs and fetal gastroschisis: Maternal hair analysis in the peri-conceptional period and during pregnancy

Objective: To objectively measure individual recreational drug groups in maternal hair samples timed for the period of conception and different stages of pregnancy in expectant mothers with a diagnosis of fetal gastroschisis. Design: Prospective observational study. Setting Tertiary level Fetal Medicine Unit in a University teaching hospital. Population: Pregnant women with a diagnosis of fetal gastroschisis (n = 22) and a control group of women (n = 25) with a normal fetus. Methods: Hair samples were cut from the vertex of the head of expectant mothers with a diagnosis of fetal gastroschisis and a matched control group in whom the fetus was normal. The samples were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for individual drug groups. Confirmatory tests using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GCMS) were used. Main outcome measures: Presence of recreational drug compounds in hair samples. Results: In the group with fetal gastroschisis there were four proven positive cases for recreational drug abuse (18%) and there were none in the control group. Conclusions: The incidence of recreational drug use in the peri-conceptional period and the first trimester by expectant mothers with a diagnosis of fetal gastroschisis is 18%. This association may be linked to the recent increase in the incidence of gastroschisis among younger mothers.