TLDR Hair analysis alone can't confirm long-term drug exposure in children under 1 year old.
The study examined drug concentrations in the hair of two children whose mothers admitted to drug use during pregnancy. In case 1, THC levels were 0.42, 0.51, and 0.86 ng/mg in different hair segments, with cannabinol and cannabidiol also present. In case 2, methadone levels were 0.42, 0.46, 0.59, and 1.58 ng/mg, with EDDP detected in the last two segments. The low concentrations suggested infrequent exposure, and the parents denied postnatal drug administration. Four possible interpretations were proposed: decreased recent administration, increased body weight diluting concentrations, sweat contamination, and in-utero exposure. The study highlighted the lack of data on drug disappearance from hair post-pregnancy.
45 citations,
January 2010 in “Forensic science international” Neonatal hair can help determine drug exposure during pregnancy.
1113 citations,
August 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Hair follicle biology advancements may lead to better hair growth disorder treatments.
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March 2013 in “Human Reproduction Update” Products should be called 'sperm-safe' only after thorough, well-designed tests.
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September 2017 in “Analytica Chimica Acta” Hair elemental analysis could be useful for health and exposure assessment but requires more standardization and research.
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May 2013 in “American Journal of Medical Genetics - Part A” People with X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia have no sweat ducts and less, thinner hair.
March 2017 in “Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology” The model and estimator can predict drug exposure in kidney transplant patients well.
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August 2015 in “European Journal of Epidemiology” The Rotterdam Study found risk factors for elderly diseases, links between lifestyle and genetics with health conditions, and aimed to explore new areas like DNA methylation and sensory input effects on brain function.
