The blood that remains in your
baby’s umbilical cord after it has been cut is called cord blood and is rich in
stem cells. Stem cell therapies are one of the most promising areas of medical
treatment and have already been used to treat nearly 70 diseases, including
leukemia and blood disorders.
According to the Cord Blood Donor Foundation,
cord blood stem cells can treat the same diseases as the stem cells in bone
marrow, with significantly less chance of harmful rejection. Expectant parents
can save their baby’s cord blood at birth by making arrangements with a family
cord blood bank. Family banks save cord blood for the exclusive use of
the baby or other family members. Here are some of the most common questions
parents have about cord blood banking:
Q.
What are cord blood stem cells?
A: Umbilical cord blood is rich in
stem cells, the building blocks of organ tissue, blood, and the immune system.
Collecting cord blood stem cells is non-invasive and performed immediately following
the delivery of a baby.
Q:
What diseases are treated with stem cell transplantation?
A: Stem cells have a natural
regenerative power to heal, and have been used for decades to treat nearly 70
life-threatening illnesses including leukemia, blood disorders, and other
cancers. Additionally, the potential for using stem cells to treat a number of
common illnesses, such as heart disease, juvenile diabetes, and brain injury,
is one of the most promising areas of medical research.
Q:
Who can use my baby’s stem cells?
A: Your baby will be a perfect match
for the cells, and the mother can also use the cells due to her carrying the
child during the pregnancy.1 The most common use for cord blood stem cells is
between siblings; however, any family member who is a suitable genetic match
may benefit from these cells.
Q:
How likely is it that my family will need to use stem cells?
A: According to published research,
the odds that your child will need to use stem cells for currently available
treatments is estimated at between 1 in 200 and 1 in 400.2. Most importantly,
if your family needs stem cells, using your own family’s cord blood has been
shown to have significant advantages compared to using cord blood from an
unrelated donor3. Additionally, siblings are twice as likely to be able to use
each other’s cord blood compared to each other’s bone marrow.
Q.
How is cord blood collected?
A: Collecting your baby’s cord blood
is painless, does not interfere with the delivery, and takes only a few
minutes. Immediately following delivery, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut.
An obstetrician or nurse will collect the blood from the umbilical cord before
it is discarded. The collected cord blood is then shipped via medical courier
to the cord blood bank where it is processed and cryogenically stored. When you
enroll with a cord blood bank, you will receive a collection kit that contains
everything your doctor will need for the collection.
Ask Dr. Sears
Should
I bank my baby’s cord blood?
I strongly recommend cord blood
banking to my patients. Using your own family’s cord blood has been shown to
significantly improve medical outcomes compared to using cord blood from
someone outside your family. In fact, it is twice as likely that siblings will
be able to use each other’s cord blood for treatment compared to each other’s
bone marrow.
Currently, a number of serious diseases have been treated with
cord blood stem cells. And there’s a more compelling reason to save these
cells—their potential to treat diseases like juvenile diabetes, heart disease,
and brain injury. As new treatments develop, having cord blood stem cells on
hand to treat these conditions will be invaluable.
Parents have only one chance with
each child to bank his or her cord blood stem cells. The importance of banking
is clear, but the financial commitment may deter some families. Thankfully,
payment plans make the cost well within reach for most people. I believe cord
blood banking is well worth the investment for a family’s future, and parents
should strongly consider making use of this valuable service.
Post a Comment