Fetal exposure to 1:8 dihydroxyanthraquinone.

A survey of 160 consecutive maternity cases showed that a high percentage of mothers had exposed their fetus to laxatives of the anthraquinone type at some stage during the pregnancy. Administration of 1:8 dihydroxyanthraquinone at the time of induction of labour with estimation of the substance in maternal urine, amniotic fluid and the first urine obtained from the baby, indicated that the substance is absorbed from the maternal gut, crosses the placenta and is excreted via the fetal kidney into the liquor. In mothers and babies most of the drug appeared as glucuronide. Fetal catharsis did not appear to occur and the reasons for this are discussed.