Cord blood banking is the blood of the umbilical cord being donated to be stored after delivery. This is becoming a more popular idea among not only the medical community but as with regular everyday people as well. It has been proven to be more effective and allow for more opportunities than the regular bone marrow transplants. Researchers are quickly coming up with more advances in their research and are hoping to be able to help cure more illnesses especially in young children.
This type of storage was developed in the 1990s. The first documented use of these cells was in the late 1980s to a young boy. His transplant was successful and opened up the doors for more research to begin.
When deciding to save the umbilical cord blood the expecting mother should contact the bank she wants to use at the start of her last trimester of pregnancy. Some people choose a private bank for storage and others will choose a public bank for storage. By doing research anyone can determine which is the best option for them.
Both types of facilities have strict regulations on them. The Federal Drug Administration regulates these storage facilities. The public banks do not ask for a fee but the original family cannot receive their exact donation back if needed in the future because they are all anonymous and no identities are kept with the donation. In the private banks you pay a high priced fee but the family is also able to receive their donation back if needed because they store the donation with the identity of the donor.
Being very rich in hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells the cord blood is a true asset. The progenitor cells are able to reproduce and form red and white blood cells along with platelets. Before the storage process can happen this donation needs to be tested for a variety of different things. Some of these include testing for cell count, fungus growth, bacterial growth, cell viability, diseases such as Hepatitis B and C and for HIV as well as tissue typing.
The transplants are used to treat diseases as well as immune system problems. Sometimes people cannot use their own because it still may carry a genetic disorder. They may find medical issues with it for themselves but siblings tend to have a higher compatibility rate, at around seventy five percent. Parents and grandparents have about a fifty percent compatibility rate. Using your own families cord blood sometimes improves the outcomes of treatment and may have fewer complications.
There are several different opinions on how to store this for future use. The first is to process it while separating and removing the red blood cells. The other is to leave the red cells to remain with it. The main concern is the potential use of the long term viability of the cryogenically frozen blood. No one really has the best procedure for the preservation.
If you are expecting a child or know someone who is this is a decision to ponder. It could save your life or someone else's life in the future. Instead of throwing away the cord at delivery and all its advantages maybe saving it for future use just may be the best option.
This type of storage was developed in the 1990s. The first documented use of these cells was in the late 1980s to a young boy. His transplant was successful and opened up the doors for more research to begin.
When deciding to save the umbilical cord blood the expecting mother should contact the bank she wants to use at the start of her last trimester of pregnancy. Some people choose a private bank for storage and others will choose a public bank for storage. By doing research anyone can determine which is the best option for them.
Both types of facilities have strict regulations on them. The Federal Drug Administration regulates these storage facilities. The public banks do not ask for a fee but the original family cannot receive their exact donation back if needed in the future because they are all anonymous and no identities are kept with the donation. In the private banks you pay a high priced fee but the family is also able to receive their donation back if needed because they store the donation with the identity of the donor.
Being very rich in hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells the cord blood is a true asset. The progenitor cells are able to reproduce and form red and white blood cells along with platelets. Before the storage process can happen this donation needs to be tested for a variety of different things. Some of these include testing for cell count, fungus growth, bacterial growth, cell viability, diseases such as Hepatitis B and C and for HIV as well as tissue typing.
The transplants are used to treat diseases as well as immune system problems. Sometimes people cannot use their own because it still may carry a genetic disorder. They may find medical issues with it for themselves but siblings tend to have a higher compatibility rate, at around seventy five percent. Parents and grandparents have about a fifty percent compatibility rate. Using your own families cord blood sometimes improves the outcomes of treatment and may have fewer complications.
There are several different opinions on how to store this for future use. The first is to process it while separating and removing the red blood cells. The other is to leave the red cells to remain with it. The main concern is the potential use of the long term viability of the cryogenically frozen blood. No one really has the best procedure for the preservation.
If you are expecting a child or know someone who is this is a decision to ponder. It could save your life or someone else's life in the future. Instead of throwing away the cord at delivery and all its advantages maybe saving it for future use just may be the best option.
About the Author:
Located at Toronto General Hospital, we are a Cord blood clinic experienced in Cord blood banking Canada and cord blood banking.