Urine testing may help improve detection of disease in newborn babies

Researchers at the University of Alberta and the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas have conducted new research that will help health-care practitioners to more accurately diagnose disease and illness in newborn babies from urine samples.

The study examined the chemical composition of urine samples from 48 healthy, full-term newborn babies in the first hours after their birth, helping to establish a baseline for healthy chemical levels. Urine can be used to diagnose and monitor many conditions in infants, including metabolic disorders, genetic diseases, and birth-trauma effects.

The knowledge of normal metabolite values for neonates is key to establishing robust cut-off values to diagnose diseases, to predict the occurrence of new diseases, to monitor a neonate's metabolism, or to assess their general health status.

"The challenge is that we do not have reference points for healthy ranges of these chemicals in urine for newborn babies," explained David Wishart, professor in the University of Alberta's Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Computing Science, and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. "As a result, it's hard for doctors or clinical chemists to determine if a newborn is really sick or their chemical concentrations in urine or blood are normal."