Print Email RSS DIGG del.icio.us Stumble It!

Cord Blood Banking - Helpful or Hype? Part I: The Basics

When I was pregnant with my first child in early 2001, the buzz about storing your baby's stem cells from the umbilical cord at birth (referred to as cord blood banking or storage) was just beginning to gain ground.

After researching options independently, I then turned to my OB for her advice on the expensive but apparently beneficial procedure.

Her advice then was: "If you have the money to throw away, go for it." Needless to say, we opted to put the close to $2000 in startup costs to other use.

Cut to 2004. I'm expecting my second child and in my sixth month of pregnancy, the same OB now hands me information about cord blood banking and its benefits.

WHAT?

Just three years ago she dismissed it as a waste of money!

Her opinion of the service changed over the years why?

Based on expanded research and new findings about the benefits of cord blood storage, she now recommends the procedure which will only continue to advance as my child grows older.

After updating ourselves on the most recent information about cord blood banking, my husband and I decided to move forward on it this time.

In this first part of two cord blood features, we bring you the basics about cord blood banking and the research behind it.

So what exactly is Cord Blood Banking?

After a baby is delivered, the mother's body releases the placenta, the temporary organ that transferred oxygen and nutrients to the baby while he was in the mother's uterus. Until recently, in most cases the umbilical cord and placenta were discarded after birth without a second thought. But during the 1970s, researchers discovered that umbilical cord blood is a rich source of blood-forming stem cells and began efforts to store (or bank) such cells.

What are blood-forming stem cells and what illnesses can they treat?

These are early cells found primarily in the bone marrow that are capable of developing into the three types of mature blood cells present in our blood - red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Cord blood stem cells may also have the potential to give rise to other cell types in the body.

Some serious illnesses (such as certain childhood cancers, blood diseases, and immune system disorders) require radiation and chemotherapy treatments to kill diseased cells in the body. Unfortunately, radiation and chemotherapy also kill many "good" cells along with the bad, including healthy stem cells that live in the bone marrow.

Depending on the type of disease and treatment needed, some children need a bone marrow transplant from a donor whose marrow cells closely match their own. Blood-forming stem cells from the donor are transplanted into the bone marrow of the child who is ill, and they go on to manufacture new, healthy blood cells and enhance the child's blood-producing and immune system capability.

When doctors and researchers realized that a newborn's cord blood could supply the same kinds of stem cells as a bone marrow donor, umbilical cord blood began to be collected and stored. The cord blood is stored cryogenically (in a frozen form) in a cord blood bank. Then, if needed, blood-forming stem cells can be thawed and used in one of two ways - when a person receives his own umbilical cord blood in a transplant or when a person receives umbilical cord blood donated from someone else - a sibling, close relative, or anonymous donor.

How is cord blood collected?

Collection of the cord blood takes place shortly after birth in both vaginal and cesarean deliveries. It is done using a specific kit that parents must order ahead of time from their chosen cord blood bank.

We received our kit within days of signing up with a bank, which we'll bring to the hospital on D-Day. I brought some documents from the kit to my OB who completed them with my medical history and blood tests and sent them to the bank in advance.

After the baby is delivered in a vaginal delivery, the umbilical cord is clamped on both sides and cut. In most cases, an experienced obstetrician or nurse collects the cord blood before the placenta is delivered. One side of the umbilical cord is unclamped, and a small tube is passed into the umbilical vein to collect the blood. After blood has been collected from the cord, needles are placed on the side of the surface of the placenta that was connected to the fetus to collect more blood and cells from the large blood vessels that fed the fetus.

During cesarean births, cord blood collection is more complicated because the obstetrician's primary focus in the operating room is tending to the surgical concerns of the mother. After the baby has been safely delivered and the mother's uterus has been sutured, the cord blood can be collected. However, less cord blood is usually collected when delivery is by c-section. The amount collected is critical because the more blood collected, the more stem cells collected. If using the stem cells becomes necessary, having more to implant increases the chances of successful transplantation.

After cord blood collection has taken place, the blood is placed into bags or syringes and is usually taken by courier to the cord blood bank. Once there, the sample is given an identifying number. Then the stem cells are separated from the rest of the blood and are frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen.

How long can blood-forming stem cells last when properly stored?

Theoretically, stem cells should last forever, but cord blood research has only been ongoing since the 1970s, so the maximum time for storage and potential usage are still being determined. To date, blood-forming stem cells that have been stored up to 14 years have been used successfully in transplants.

What are key factors to be aware of?

During my research, I came across dozens of companies offering cord blood banking most of which promise the same service.

Most of these marketing savvy companies prey on the vulnerability of soon-to-be parents, but their legitimacy is questionable.

Do your research to ensure you are working with a service that runs its OWN AABB-accredited laboratory and storage facility. Many of the so-called "banks" are nothing more than a small group of sales people who aren't directly affiliated with a laboratory.

How much does cord blood banking cost?

Most cord blood banks will charge initial fees ranging from $600 - $1,800 for setup and collection. Annual storage fees are pretty standard - around $100.

Primary Factors to Consider
in a Cord Blood Bank

AABB Accredited Cord Blood Banks

Votes: 0

5 4 3 2 1  

Related Articles

• There are currently no related articles available.

Comments