Umbilical Cord: A Magic Crystal Ball. Cord Blood Albumin as a Predictor of Neonatal Jaundice

      Аннотация: Jaundice remains the number one reason for hospital admission in the first week of life, and cases of kernicterus, which are 100% preventable, continue to be reported. Thus, the concept of prediction of jaundice offers an attractive option to pick up babies at risk of neonatal jaundice in order to implement early treatment and thereby minimize the risk of bilirubin dependent brain damage. In order to solve this problem, jaundice prediction tools are needed. Ideally, these tools would be practical, accurate, inexpensive, non-invasive, and would quickly predict which neonates are at high risk for severe jaundice. At this point, the umbilical cord blood will act as our magic crystal ball as it can be collected after the infant has delivered and then the serum tested for albumin. Cord blood albumin levels can be used as a predictor of neonatal jaundice. The blood that remains in the placenta/umbilical cord is no longer of any use to the infant and is considered biological waste. Therefore, there is no risk to mother or baby in the process of collecting cord blood.

Ключевые слова: Umbilical cord, Cord Blood Albumin, Predictor of Neonatal Jaundice, hyperbilirubinemia