Chemicals in baby soaps, shampoos trigger positive marijuana tests

Did you know your baby could fail a drug test?

According to a new study at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, researchers say baby shampoos and other soaps used to wash newborn babies may cause infants to test positive for marijuana.

An article in Time Healthland says the researchers found that infants washed with five soaps - Johnson & Johnson's Head-To-Toe Baby Wash, J&J Bedtime Bath, CVS Night-Time Baby Bath, Aveeno Soothing Relied Creamy Wash and Aveeno Wash Shampoo - tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana.

The researchers began their investigation after nurses at the UNC Chapel Hill nursery reported an unusually high number of infants testing positive for marijuana.

Researchers mixed drug-free urine samples with various products and materials found in the nursery to see which ones tested positive for THC. Shampoos were eventually found to be the cause.

The problem is not limited to the five soaps identified in the study. Researchers say any soap or shampoo containing the chemicals polyquaternium-11 and cocamidopropyl betaine could elicit positive marijuana test results.

According to Time, 12 states consider prenatal exposure to any illegal drug, including marijuana, as child abuse.

“We have identified commonly used soap and wash products used for newborn and infant care as potential causes of false positive THC screening results. Such results in this population can lead to involvement by social services or false child abuse allegations,” the researchers reported in the journal of The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. “Given these consequences, it is important for laboratories and providers to be aware of this potential source for false positive screening results and to consider confirmation before initiating interventions.”

To read the study, go to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22465236.