When a baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut, which in turn releases a lot of blood that is moving between the placenta and the baby. This blood carries important nutrients and stems cells responsible for the formation and development of the baby. Did you know you could preserve this cord blood along with the stem cells even after birth? This process is known as cord blood banking.
An umbilical cord is a physical attachment between the mother and the fetus. The umbilical cord acts like a two-way road. It takes essentials to the baby and brings back unwanted waste from the baby, for the mother’s body to discard. The umbilical veins and arteries transport all this between the placenta and the baby through cord blood within the placenta.
In This Article
- What is Cord Blood?
- What’s in Cord Blood?
- How Does Cord Blood Compare to Cord Tissues?
- What is Cord Blood Banking?
- Cord Blood Banking-Private Vs. Public Banks
- How is Cord Blood Collected?
- Why Do You Save Cord Blood?
- Cord Blood-How Long Can it Be Saved?
- Benefits of Cord Blood Banking
- Diseases Treated With Cord Blood Banking
- What Are the Alternatives to Cord Blood Banking?
- FAQ’s
What is Cord Blood?
Cord blood, to put it in very simple words, is the blood you find in the umbilical cord connecting the mother and the baby. Cord blood is responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s body to the fetus, to help it develop and grow.
After the delivery of the baby, there is no need for this transportation to continue, so it will be cut. When the cord is cut, the blood en route will remain in the cord. Approximately 80-120 milliliters of blood remain in the cord. This remaining blood is cord blood which can be wasted or collected for future use.
What’s in Cord Blood?
Cord blood is rich in stem cells, which develop into the various cells in the baby’s body. The stem cells can develop into red blood cells, white blood cells as well as platelets.
The cells in the cord blood can renew themselves and adapt to the body’s needs. Stem cells are also available in bone marrow and blood, but are very difficult to isolate and collect. It is easier to collect these important cells from the cord blood directly.
How Does Cord Blood Compare to Cord Tissues?
Cord blood is the blood left over in the umbilical cord after the birth of the child.
Cord tissue is the material that surrounds the umbilical cord.
After delivering the baby, your doctor will clamp the umbilical cord. After collecting the cord blood, about 4 inches of the cord tissue can be preserved.
While cord blood contains many stem cells that can form essential cells in a body, cord tissue contains stem cells that can form the nervous system, skin, bone, cartilage, and more.
Though both contain stem cells, the use for, or purpose of these stem cells differ. As a result, they help treat different types of diseases.
What is Cord Blood Banking?
Cord blood banking is the process of preserving the cord blood, after the birth of the child. It allows you to store the blood along with the stem cells for possible medical use in the future.
The cord blood they collect from your baby will be in storage under optimal conditions, for a fixed period, for a fee, as per the terms of your contract. You can choose to use or not use the cord blood anytime during this contract period.
Cord Blood Banking-Private Vs. Public Banks
Today, there are many private bankers in the market, who can help you store your baby’s cord blood for even 21 years. You have the option of extending your contract by renewing it and paying for it accordingly. If you are not keen on paying a premium to store the cord blood, you can store it in a public cord blood bank as well.
When you pay a premium and store the cord blood in a private facility, the blood is reserved only for your baby’s use. You can choose to not renew the contract in the future and the banker will either use the stored blood for other customers or move it to public storage.
When you store it in a public blood bank, the cord blood is available for all members of that particular bank to use. The banker will use your blood to match others. Similarly, when you have a need, they will find a suitable match for you. By using a public bank, you are storing the cord blood, ensuring it is not going to waste and having access to a match in the future. However, it will not be your baby’s blood.
[Read : All About Community Stem Cell Banking]
How is Cord Blood Collected?
Collecting cord blood is painless and does not invade or disturb the newborn in any way.
- During birth, the doctor will clamp the umbilical cord on both ends – the mother’s and the baby’s side, to stop the blood flow from the mother’s body to the placenta. This ensures the mother does not bleed out.
- Next, with the help of a needle, the doctor or any health care professional in the delivery ward will draw out the blood and collect it in a sterile bag. This ensures there is no contamination of any sort. The healthcare professional can also cut the cord on one end, lift it up, and empty its contents into the bag directly.
- The amount of blood collected from the cord varies from person to person. It can be low if it is a twin delivery or a premature delivery. If the amount is not sufficient when taken out in the future, cord blood banks can always help you find the perfect match.
Why Do You Save Cord Blood?
Cord blood is an important source of stem cells. Such stem cells are vital during transplants. They can be used for other people as well. Such is their versatility and ability to create cells according to the body’s needs.
Over the last few decades of research and clinical trials, the number of treatments for diseases with cord blood is increasing. Today, cord blood, collected at birth can be used for treating over 80 diseases. Researchers are still working to find more uses for cord blood, and believe it can be used to treat various other chronic and serious illnesses. Since the use of this precious blood, which otherwise would go waste in the delivery ward, is increasing, it is important to save cord blood.
Cord blood can be a 100% match to the donor (the owner of the cord blood) a potential 75% match for their sibling, and can be a good match for the parents or immediate family members. Unlike bone marrow, cord blood needs only 4 out of 6 HLA markers to match. So, in case of a transplant requirement in the future, cord blood can be a better option than bone marrow to find a suitable match.
Stem cells from cord blood are less prone to infections after a transplant. When you compare the stem cells from cord blood to stem cells from bone marrow, both the rate of rejection and infection is much lower, thus reducing the risks involved.
Cord blood is not easy to get. You can collect it only at the time of birth. Even if you have no use for it, you can always donate it to the cord blood bank or for research instead of letting it go to waste. Research in cord blood aims to help millions of people around the world, suffering from various diseases without a cure.
Your baby’s cord blood can be a match to a complete stranger as well. By saving cord blood, you can increase the chances of helping others and aid in research as well.
Cord Blood-How Long Can it Be Saved?
The storage period depends on the effectiveness of the storage facility. Cord blood banking involves cryopreservation method. Cryopreservation is very effective with proper maintenance of liquid nitrogen tanks and low temperatures. Changes in temperature due to power failure or incompetence of the facility can reduce the storage period.
Today, with the advancement of science and technology, cord blood banks guarantee many decades of safe storage. Tests at various intervals show that with proper temperature maintenance, the viability of the stem cells and cord blood remains the same even after decades.
However, when you collect cord blood, there is not much. If a child or an adult needs their cord blood to help treat some disease, their own cord blood will not suffice. You may need to use donor cells, which the cord blood banks will help you find.
If you plan on banking your baby’s cord blood, you should talk to the facility representatives to know how many years of preservation they can offer. A lot of research is going on to know more about the preservation period and use of cord blood. So, the duration may vary with new findings in the future.
[Read : Stem Cell Banking: Pros and Cons]
Benefits of Cord Blood Banking
Some of the benefits of cord blood banking are:
- Your baby can have a full 100% match stem cells readily available to treat some disease in the future
- The chances of the body rejecting stem cells from the cord blood are much lesser than rejecting the stem cells from bone marrow
- It is easier to collect stem cells from the cord blood than retrieve them from the bone marrow
- By donating cord blood, you may help find a cure or find a match for a needy patient
- Your baby can donate their cord blood from storage once they grow up and help many people
- Cord blood banking can help members of your family or others during their cancer treatments.
Diseases Treated With Cord Blood Banking
A lot of research is happening in the last few years to increase the use of cord blood. Today, stem cells derived from cord blood can help treat about 80 different diseases, including 25 types of cancer, over 25 types of immunity disorders, over 20 types of inherited blood disorders, and about 20 types of metabolism-related disorders. These include the following chronic health conditions too
- Hunter syndrome
- Krabbe disease
- Anemia
- Sickle cell disease
- Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
- Chronic Granulomatous Disease
- Clinical trials are underway to find a cure for some serious illnesses such as:
- HIV
- Lupus
- Diabetes – both type 1 & 2
- Autism
- Cerebral Palsy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Crohn’s disease
[Read : List of Diseases that can be Cured and Treated by Stem Cells]
What Are the Alternatives to Cord Blood Banking?
Not everyone is keen on banking or preserving cord blood. Many opt for a lotus birth, which leaves the placenta attached to the baby until it dries out and detaches itself. Lotus births, emergency C-sections, premature birth at the least expected times, and a few other scenarios do not give you the opportunity to collect or bank the cord blood. In such cases, you have the following alternatives.
1. Stem Cells From Siblings
If you missed collecting your first child’s cord blood, you can collect the next child’s. Siblings can have up to 75% match. Cord blood bankers allow you to withdraw the blood from the holding to use for siblings.
2. Stem Cells From Family
Cord blood from immediate family can match up to 25%. You can use the cord blood from your siblings’ children if they have collected it. You can also check with cousins’ children if your cousins have stored their children’s cord blood.
3. Donor Stem Cells
You can also use donor stem cells collected from other cord blood or from cord blood that is donated. You can also approach a public cord blood bank and they will help you find a match for a fee. Donor stem cells are increasingly helping treat various diseases. These banks can help you find a match as they do in a regular blood bank.
So, if you have not collected your baby’s cord blood during their birth, don’t worry. Today’s research and facilities help anyone and everyone benefit from stem cell banking and treatments by finding a match among the donors.
Research and trials promise to fight and cure various diseases with the help of cord blood banking in the near future. With such development on the medical front that provides much-needed protection for your baby’s health, it is important to consider preserving your baby’s cord blood. Do talk to your doctor or medical health professional to learn and understand more about preserving your baby’s cord blood.
FAQ’s
1. Can Parents Use the Baby’s Cord Blood?
As long as there is a good HLA match, a parent may utilize their child’s cord blood for medical purposes. Due to the fact that each parent provides half of the HLA markers, a matching pair of parents is very improbable to be more than 50%. When there is a 50% match, however, haploidentical transplantation becomes an option.
2. How Long is Cord Blood Good For?
According to the current study, preserved blood may only be useful for 15 years. Several banks now keep cord blood for up to 11 years.
Read Also: Top 10 Stem Cell Banks in India
