Tests of cells collected from the umbilical cord blood vessel walls at birth can predict death or poor pulmonary outcomes in extremely preterm infants, say researchers at UAB.

“Now that we know there is useful information from cells we obtain from the umbilical cord, we could use their bioenergetics as a biomarker and for therapy approaches before bronchopulmonary dysplasia develops,” said Jegen Kandasamy, M.D., a neonatologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at UAB, and corresponding author of a study detailing the findings.

Read the story at UAB News. 

Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D., Neonatology, is also an author. Funding for the study came from a UAB Dixon fellowship grant and National Institutes of Health grants