Denis Gallot, Ingrid de Chazeron, Didier Boussiron, Sylvie Ughetto, Franoise Vendittelli, Franz J. Legros, Laurence Roszyk, Pierre-Michel Llorca, Didier Lemery, Vincent Sapin
Limits of usual biochemical alcohol markers in cord blood at term: a fetal/maternal population-based study
Background: After maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, many neonates affected by less apparent forms of fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD) do not receive proper diagnosis or treatment. There is thus a need for laboratory markers for early detection of alcohol-exposed neonates. The aim of our study was to assess the efficiency of the usual alcohol biomarkers measured in cord blood to identify alcohol-exposed neonates immediately after birth.
Methods: A 1-year study was conducted in the labor wards of the maternity units of the Auvergne, Central France at the time of term delivery. The patients answered an anonymous self-completion survey concerning alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test; AUDIT) during their pregnancy. Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyltransferase concentrations and the percentage of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin were measured in maternal and cord blood.
Results: We collected 870 maternal-fetal sample pairs. Two cases (0.2%) of typical FASD were detected. We report a non-significant correlation between maternal and cord blood biomarkers. None of the cord blood biomarkers differed significantly between newborns of alcohol-exposed and unexposed mothers.
Conclusions: We demonstrate that the usual alcohol biomarkers are not effective in cord blood for identifying alcohol-exposed neonates.
Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:546–8.
Clinical Chemical Laboratory Medicine, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1434-6621
Volume: 45, 04/2007
Pages: 546 - 548
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