Abstract: A improved method for preparing a concentrated meconium extract containing basic and acid-neutral target analytes present in a meconium sample suspected of containing the target analytes is provided. The meconium sample is extracted with a mixed solvent of acetonitrile and a volatile organic acid and the resulting organic phase is separated. The organic phase is diluted with water to provide an organic solution which is passed through a mixed mode solid phase extraction column having strong cation exchange and hydrophobic functionality. Acid-neutral and basic target analytes are sequentially eluted from the column and the eluates are combined to form a combined extract. The combined extract is evaporated to dryness and reconstituted in buffer to provide a clean concentrated neonatal meconium extract for use in qualitative and quantitative analyses.

Abstract: New and improved methods for collecting neonatal meconium samples, preparing meconium specimens for testing and for chemically analyzing neonatal meconium samples to determine their chemical composition are provided. A novel extraction method is employed in accordance with the invention to provide a non-aqueous, concentrated "cocktail" meconium extract containing substantially all of many possible target analytes in a single extraction step. Preliminary screening by fluorescence polarization immunoassay methods may be performed on the cocktail extract to qualitatively determine the presence of the target analytes in the meconium sample. If a positive preliminary result is obtained, new and improved quantitative GC/MS confirmatory procedures are provided by this invention to unequivocally identify and quantitate the amount of target analyte present in the sample in terms of nanograms of analyte per gram of meconium tested.

Abstract: Methods for collecting neonatal meconium samples, preparing meconium specimens for testing and for chemically analyzing neonatal meconium samples to determine their chemical composition are provided. A novel extraction method is employed in accordance with the invention to provide a non-aqueous, concentrated "cocktail" meconium extract containing substantially all of many possible target analytes in a single extraction step. Preliminary screening by fluorescence polarization immunoassay methods may be performed on the cocktail extract to qualitatively determine the presence of the target analytes in the meconium sample. If a positive preliminary result is obtained, new and improved quantitative GC/MS confirmatory procedures are provided by this invention to unequivocally identify and quantitate the amount of target analyte present in the sample in terms of nanograms of analyte per gram of meconium tested.