According to a new study, detecting metabolic disorders, genetic diseases, and birth-trauma effects in newborn babies are now made easier using urine samples. Researchers from the University of Alberta and the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas have examined the chemical composition of urine samples from newborns to detect abnormalities.
During the first hours after birth, the team collected and analyzed urine samples from 48 healthy, full-term newborn babies to establish a baseline for healthy chemical levels. They believe that urine can be used to diagnose and monitor many conditions in infants.
According to David Wishart, a professor at the University of Alberta, being a new approach, one of the challenges they faced is that they have no idea on the reference points for healthy chemical ranges in urine for newborns.
As a result, it would be difficult for physicians or clinical chemists to determine if a newborn is sick or if their urine's chemical concentrations were normal. Additionally, they believe further study is needed to establish these normal ranges in newborn's urine.
The research team used mass spectrometry to measure the concentrations of about 140 various chemicals found in the infants' urine.
The findings were able to quantify about 86 chemicals not previously measured in newborn urine. Furthermore, another 20 chemicals not previously measured in human urine were also seen.
According to Wishart, the research is intended to aid doctors in making more informed clinical diagnoses when it comes to newborn diseases. Moreover, it provides reference data that every neonatologist could freely use to compare healthy newborns from sick ones.
Common Neonatal Problems
Various problems could arise in newborns. According to March of Dimes, some of the most common newborn conditions treated in the NICU are anemia, apnea, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), pneumonia, jaundice, and many more.
Premature babies are the ones who usually experience these problems. For example, babies born before reaching their full term are often anemic. This means that they do not produce enough red blood cells.
Typically, the fetus stores iron during the final stages of pregnancy. Later on, the baby uses its iron stores after birth to make red blood cells. Infants born too soon may not have had enough stores to sustain them after birth.
Another problem commonly seen in premature infants is BPD. This condition is also seen in babies treated for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
Babies with RDS have immature lungs. Sometimes, these babies would require a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe. Some babies treated for RDS may develop BPD symptoms, such as fluid in the lungs, scarring, and lung damage.
How to Collect Urine Samples from an Infant
If you've wondered how the researchers collected urine samples from newborns, they most probably used a "wee bag" or a container to obtain a clean catch.
Since babies and small children don't pee on demand, it might be difficult to obtain a urine sample. Most hospitals use a bag stuck to the skin using gentle double-sided tape. This way, health care providers wouldn't need to stand by long enough while waiting for the baby to urinate.
Another approach would be the clean-catch approach. This method would be a bit more challenging as the collector would need to keep watching until the child or baby urinates.
Using a small, clean container, the caregiver would catch a urine sample in the container when the wee comes out.
