Saving Cord Blood
Cord Blood Transplant – A Fresh Start To Your Life
Oct 20th
With every passing day, the science behind the utility of umbilical cord blood is going a step forward. It is increasingly being used for curing leukemia patients.
Umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells. As the name suggests, it is extracted from the umbilical cord and the placenta immediately after delivery. Stems cells are very important. They have the capability of creating entirely new blood and organs too. The cord blood stem cells have created your baby and by preserving those stem cells, you are giving your baby a greater chance to fight possible life-threatening diseases.
Cord blood Vs Bone Marrow Transplants
For Cord Blood:
Research shows that the quality of the stem cells taken from the bone marrow is not as high as that of the umbilical cord blood.
Patients who have received a bone marrow transplant are more likely to reject the new addition, which could lead to life threatening situations.
It may take months for the medical team to find a donor with a matching blood composition. With the patients cord blood available, the treatment is not delayed beyond a few days.
In case the patients cord blood is not available, public cord blood banks have a vast resource of stem cells, which were donated by new parents. The cord blood banking system is highly computerized and one can search for the matching composition very quickly.
For Bone Marrow:
Cord blood transplant is a relatively new compared to bone marrow transplants
The quantity of umbilical cord blood is limited. The amount of stem cells is very crucial for any treatment. A younger patient will require less stem cells compared to an older one. If for any reason the patient requires a second graft, he will have to take a donation from outside. This may lead to more complications.
Stem cells are slow. They take time to produce the required blood cells. Till then the patient runs severe risk of infections due to reduced immunity.
There may be case where the stem cells are not be as healthy as expected after being preserved for so many years. Theoretically, cord blood can be preserved forever. In reality, no one is sure about how long a unit of cord blood can be saved without affecting its utility.
At the end of the day, it is your decision. Nevertheless, do remember that even if the option of bone marrow transplant is available, your child will have a greater chance in emergencies or critical illnesses when there is no matching donor nearby. It is not necessary that your child will have a sibling with matching genetics close to him all time in the future. The cord blood, which you had saved years ago after his birth, will be enough for him to start life afresh.
Cord Blood Collection – Helping The Future Generations
Oct 19th
Medical science, today, is heavily dependent on the concept of cord blood collection. More than seventy diseases that were earlier regarded as next to incurable are now treatable because of the increased donation of the umbilical cord blood. Stem cells research is gaining by a milestone with every passing day. What was earlier regarded as waste today is the answer to the age-old genetic abnormalities. Now that the subject has been broached, let’s see what this is all about.
Collection Procedure
It is the blood collected from the umbilical cord and the placenta after the baby is born. It is, therefore, called, umbilical cord blood. Now, a point to make clear is that this blood is collected after the baby is born and disconnected from the placenta. Neither the baby nor the mother is harmed in any way. Neither does it hurt anyone. The entire process is completed within 15 minutes of the delivery to ensure the quality and the quantity of the blood collected.
You are not eligible for it naturally. You have to undergo a process called registry to be able to give the green signal to the doctor for the stem cells collection. Now how do you register for the preservation? Simple, but again not so simple! There are specialized centers where the it is preserved. Register yourself or your spouse, whoever is the mother-to-be, for the collection process at least 4 months ahead of the delivery. Just a written note will not do. The mother-to-be has to undergo a series of medical tests, passing which, she will be eligible for the collection. These specialized centers are called cord blood banks. There are two types of banks. One is a public bank and the other is private cord blood bank. A public bank is cheaper than the private one. However, you will not have the sole right to the unit that you have preserved for future use, if you choose a public bank.
If you are thinking about why one should go through all the hassle if bone marrow seems to have been working fine all these years, the reasons are many. However, here are the two main reasons. Firstly, research has proved that the stem cells collected from the umbilical cord blood are richer is quality and quantity compared to the bone marrow. Secondly, it is not always necessary that your child’s siblings will be by their side in cases for emergency requiring blood transfusion. In such cases, his own blood, his building blocks will be there to save him!
This procedure has its own advantages and disadvantages. You need to decide whether you want to go ahead with the expense or not. If not for anything else, you can donate your umbilical cord blood unit for medical research and benefit the society.