What information can you give on testing of meconium and why some experts state that it depends what part of the meconium is sent into labs as to what will test positive?
The single most important element of collecting meconium for drug and alcohol testing is obtaining the entire quantity of meconium that the newborn passes. This is extremely important in order to obtain the maximum time window of exposure for the infant. Meconium is a HETEROGENEOUS material and each portion passed reflects a different time of gestation. This is due to the extreme viscosity of the meconium mass and the lack of significant mixing in the fetal intestine. If only a portion of the total meconium is collected and sent for analysis, it may reflect a period of abstinence and a truly drug or alcohol exposed infant will be misdiagnosed as non-exposed.
