[maggie]

I have a postmortem toxicology report that shows morphine in the urine and blood of an 11 month old child with no history of any medication.  Is there a condition where the body produces a substance that can create such a result?

[chiralic]

Hello:

Yes...our body produce a morphine-like substance called endogenous morphines or "ENDOgenous moRPHINES" = endorphines...

Can I see the postmortem toxicology report? Could you give more details? or Could you give us
which was the cause of the death?

Regards,

Chiralic

[maggie]

The micros are not done on the autopsy report, just the tox so I have no final report so the cause of death is yet to be determined.  I don't have the values for the morphine but should get them today.  This is a sudden death of a 11 month old.  The child was somewhat lethargic the day he was found deceased in his crib.  There are no signs of foul play and the family just doesn't fit the profile for abuse, although we are still pursuing that angle.  There are no signs of drugs or medications that the child could have been given or injested accidently.  Can the production of endomorhines cause a positive morphine in the blood and if so is there something we can test for that will differentiate these?   I have also heard that poppy seeds can cause a positive morphine? - not sure yet if this child consumed any.

[Equi]

I did urine based drug during my army service. A lot of people were attested positive for opiates due to consumption of whatever poppy-products, usually cake.

[constant thinker]

Is the test for opiates in general or specifically morphine?

[maggie]

The test is specific for morphine - it was found both in the urine and blood. 

[chiralic]

Hi Maggie:

Questions:
1) How did you know that the child was somewhat lethargic the day he was found deceased?
   "lethargic" must be investigate...Causes?

2) Do you have a psyco profile to say: "...the family just doesn't fit the profile for abuse" ?

3) In the tox report, the endophines was reported or reported as morphine? This substance
    was CONFIMATED by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry? Please Could you post the
    values?


Please read this:
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;107/2/437

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_infant_death_syndrome

Could be that we are talking on the Syndrome of Sudden Death?

Regards,

Chiralic

[maggie]

Ok...the mystery was solved...Thanks for your input.  The child had injested morphine accidently...