Banking Cord Blood - a basic explanation cord blood bank storage refers to public or private umbilical cord blood, which can be used to treat certain blood diseases and immune system. Once the baby is born, he or she no longer needs the blood that remains in the umbilical cord. Until recently, that blood has been eliminated, but now we know it saves lives, banking cord blood has become an acceptable practice in the medical community.
Cord blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which means that the blood can form white or red blood cells, platelets and plasma. Although this is similar to the composition of bone marrow transplants because of cord blood does not require a perfect match of how bone marrow transplants do, can be used in transplantation in large part bone marrow Similarly, only with less chance of rejection. This means that more people can benefit from these transplants within a specified shorter time, instead of waiting several years to find a compatible donor.
Cord blood is collected after the baby is born. If collected in utero, it is collected after the baby is delivered but before the placenta has been delivered. collection of ex utero cord blood refers to the collection of blood from the umbilical cord after both the baby and the placenta has been delivered. There are no health risks associated with the collection of cord blood, either the mother or the newborn.
Current methods of collecting cord blood included the insertion of a needle into the umbilical cord and drawing the cord blood, or to allow blood to flow into a sterile bag after the power has been high . This procedure can be performed either with a vaginal delivery or Caesarean section. However, it must be done immediately after birth and processed within 24-48 hours.
This treatment includes routine tests, including tests for HIV and hepatitis B and C. Cord blood is then stored frozen, ready to use. Although studies to determine expiration dates are still pending, the New York Blood Center National Cord Blood Program (NCBP) used grafts of cord blood that was stored up to 10 years with same results as the cord blood transplants used in right after the treatment. So while we have passed the age of 10 he may be a while before we know exactly how long frozen umbilical cord blood is viable for transplantation.
According to the NCBP, more than 70 different diseases have been treated with cord blood to date. These include various types of leukemia, Fanconi anemia, Hodgkin's disease, sickle cell anemia, lymphoma, and many others. Because cord blood is collected in advance, tested and ready, it offers several advantages over bone marrow, in addition to the fact that the recipients of cord blood should not be a perfect match of how the recipients of bone marrow does.
There are two public banks and private cord blood. blood bank public cord blood cord store for the benefit of the general population, while private banks store cord blood umbilical cord blood for the benefit of the donor or his family. With a public bank cord blood, once all testing is completed, all traces of the donor are eliminated, so there is no chance for anyone to solicit or receive cord blood from a particular donor.
Public banks cord blood are not nonprofit donors do not pay storage costs while private banks charge cord blood storage fees, as well as treatment and recovery costs. However, it is worthwhile to those who choose to go this route because they are assured of a perfect match if their baby will need a transplant later. It is certainly a viable option for those who have a baby with a transplantable condition or may be a high risk of such a condition.
Posted on March 19, 2010.