The presence of morphine as heroin metabolites in placental tissue and fetus: Case report

Abstract

Introduction. Females who have developed addiction to heroin also abuse it during pregnancy. Heroin can be detected in the fetal blood-flow already an hour after maternal i.v. injection. Heroin metabolites enter the fetal blood-flow through the placental barrier by passive transport. Case Outline. We present a 27-year-old female in the 5th month of pregnancy that had a miscarriage. Chemo-toxicological analysis (gas chromatography with mass spectrometry - GC/MS), showed the presence of morphine in the fetal liver (31.92 ng/g), placenta (27.94 ng/g) and meconium (136.33 ng/g). The analysis did not show the presence of 6-monoacetylmorphine. Conclusion. In all cases when the autopsy of fetus or newborn is performed, with mother suspected as i.v. heroin abuser, chemotoxicological placental analysis, placenta and meconium should be also done.