Umbilical Cord Resources
Umbilical Cord Resources
To view the Umbilical Cord Testing Panels and Collection Instructions, click here.
Umbilical Cord Videos
Targeted vs. Universal Umbilical Cord Collection
CCDG Presentation
The Impact of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome on One West Virginia Community by Dr. Loudin
The Importance of Following Forensic Principles in Newborn Drug Testing by Dr. Irene Shu
Umbilical Cord Drug Testing: A Discussion of Prevalent Issues
Umbilical Cord Collection Training Video
USDTL Live episode 2 CordStat Origin with Dianne Montgomery
Why Test For Designer Stimulants ("Bath Salts") in Umbilical Cord
Umbilical Cord Infographics
Umbilical Cord Articles
Newborn Testing For Alcohol Biomarkers 11-Nov-2016
Who Cares About Chain of Custody? 11-Nov-2016
Breaking the Blood Barrier 01-Dec-2015
Real Time Data 03-Aug-2015
A Moment In Time 02-Feb-2015
Lost Opportunities 02-Feb-2015
Marijuana Use in Pregnancy 01-May-2013
Identifying Alcohol-Exposed Newborns 01-Oct-2012
Newborn Direct Ethanol Biomarker 01-Oct-2012
USDTL Umbilical Cord Research
Umbilical Cord Poster Presentations
USDTL Umbilical Cord Assisted Research
View All USDTL Assisted Research
Umbilical Cord Slide Presentations
Umbilical Cord Testing: A Discussion of Prevalent Issues
The Impact of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome on One West Virginia Community
The Importance of Following Forensic Principles in Newborn Drug Testing by Dr. Irene Shu
Umbilical Cord Announcements
Report Change Notification Report Change Notification
18-Apr-2016
Effective July 18, 2016, USDTL will be implementing a new way of reporting quantitative results. In order to satisfy accreditation requirement, the concentrations of drugs exceeding the Upper Limit of Quantification (ULOQ) for any given drug will be reported as > ULOQ (greater than ULOQ). The ULOQ will be provided.
USDTL is now ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited USDTL is now ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited
22-Sep-2015
We are proud to announce that we are the first laboratory in the world to be ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for drug and alcohol testing in umbilical cord, fingernail, and toenail specimens. On September 4, 2015, USDTL attained ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation showing full compliance with the international testing standards. We have received our accreditation from ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board, demonstrating technical competence in the field of forensic testing. The scope of our ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation encompasses all specimen types and methods of analysis utilized in our laboratory.
Improved Screening Assay For Buprenorphine in Umbilical Cord Improved Screening Assay For Buprenorphine in Umbilical Cord
01-Jul-2014
USDTL has succeeded in improving their umbilical cord screening assay for buprenorphine by reducing the positive result cutoff from 1.0 ng/g down to 0.5 ng/g. The improved umbilical cord buprenorphine assay gives the best possible detection of buprenorphine exposure, making it possible to identify more newborns exposed to buprenorphine in utero.
Umbilical Cord FAQs
*Click the green and white plus sign beside each question to view the answer.
Can a hair test be manipulated by the donor?
Can you test for alcohol exposure in umbilical cord?
Yes, alcohol exposure can be tested individually or by adding the Umbilical Cord Testing EtG add-on to any of the Umbilical Cord Testing drug panels. The EtG add-on screens for Ethyl Glucuronide, a direct alcohol biomarker, indicating exposure to ethanol (drinking alcohol).
Does Umbilical Cord Testing use umbilical cord blood or umbilical cord tissue?
Have results been used in court cases?
Yes, the analysis of a number of tissue types for the presence of drugs of abuse has been used in every state for decades. Specifically, our umbilical cord testing has been used to provide evidence of drug use by the mother in numerous states. Additionally, the detection of drug in umbilical cord was used as evidence of maternal drug consumption in a murder case in South Carolina and that interpretation was upheld on appeal to the SC Supreme Court.
How long does the laboratory keep remaining umbilical cord tissue?
How should umbilical cord tissue be stored?
The sample is stable at room temperature for 7 days, can be refrigerated (2-8° C) for up to 3 weeks and frozen (< -10° C) up to 1 year.
Is umbilical cord genetically fetal tissue or tissue of the mother?
May the reported quantitation of drug or metabolite in hair, nail, meconium, umbilical cord, or urine be used to determine the timing of the drug use, how often the donor uses the drug, or the extent of the donor’s drug use?
No. When testing a reservoir specimen type, a specimen type where analytes tend to accumulate, you may not backtrack to determine time, dosage, or frequency. The result is positive or negative for the appropriate detection window associated with the specimen type.
The umbilical cord was fixed in formalin. May it still be used for the Umbilical Cord Testing?
What is the window of drug exposure for umbilical cord tissue?
When will I receive umbilical cord results?
| Test | Negative Result | Positive Result |
| Umbilical Cord Drug Panel | 1 working day | 2 working days |
| Umbilical Cord EtOH | 2 working days | 3 working days |
Why is Umbilical Cord Testing becoming the gold standard in newborn testing over meconium?
USDTL’s umbilical cord tissue testing is groundbreaking in newborn toxicology because it solves several problems:
- Every newborn has an umbilical cord; meconium is not available for every birth.
- Umbilical cord collection is a one-step procedure; meconium collection requires cumulative collections.
- Umbilical Cord Testing offers improved positivity rates for Methamphetamine, Benzodiazepines and Opiates.
- Umbilical Cord Testing improves the integrity of the chain-of-custody: only one donor and one collector are present during the collection. Meconium has multiple collections and multiple collectors.
- Umbilical Cord Testing improves turnaround time because umbilical cord is ready for transport a few minutes after the birth, while meconium passages can be delayed for days before being sent to the lab.
Why was the mother's urine positive and the umbilical cord tissue / meconium negative?
There are several explanations for this. Different specimen types have varying thresholds for positivity. For example, a single dose of methamphetamine 12 hours prior to collection is highly likely to produce a positive urine result. However, it would be less likely to generate a positive result for a specimen type with a longer detection window such as umbilical cord, meconium or hair.
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