Cord Blood Banking
Cord Blood
The blood that remains in your baby’s umbilical cord after delivery is known as cord blood. It contains platelets, plasma, red and white blood cells, just like regular blood does. Additionally, it contains unique kinds of stem cells found in the bone marrow that can boost the immune system. The ability of these cells to develop or mature into several types of blood cells makes them special.
According to research, cord blood can successfully treat up to 80 critical medical condition. Leukaemia, genetic problems, immune system ailments, and many other diseases are all treated by stem cells. And there are more than 300 clinical trials going on for regenerative therapies including Cerebral Palsy, Type 1 Diabetes, Heart Diseases, etc…
What is cord blood banking
Cord blood banking Used For
Cord blood banking is absolutely optional. Some parents decide to preserve their baby’s cord blood, while others do not. The cord blood from new-born is discarded along with the placenta if you don’t donate it or preserve it. During a prenatal visit, your healthcare professional will usually inform you about cord blood banking.
Stem cells found in cord blood have the ability to save lives. Patient who needs stem cell transplants can be benefited from the baby’s cord blood. After being transplanted into those patients, stem cells aid in the production of fresh and healthy cells. Stem cell transplants can benefit patients for the:
- Cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma.
- Bone marrow diseases requiring a transplant.
- anaemia like sickle cell disease.
- Certain immune system disorders.
Researchers are investigating the medicinal qualities of cord blood for the treatment of various serious diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
Cord blood is key in REGENERATIVE MEDICINE research:
Spinal Cord Injury, Diabetes, Autism, Cerebral Palsy and more.
There are various advantages of banking cord blood. The most common reasons parents choose cord banking are:
- Baby’s cord blood could be used by someone who needs a stem cell transplant to save their life.
- Private blood banking can help someone in your family if they need a stem cell transplant.
- Banking cord blood doesn’t affect mother or baby at all.
- It doesn’t impact labour or delivery.
- Umbilical cord blood gets thrown away. There’s no risk or harm in giving it to a public cord blood bank.
A public bank donation can benefit others. It enhances the likelihood that someone will discover a match when they need one. Only select hospitals are permitted to collect blood for public cord blood banks, so check with your physician to be sure.
Make sure you are aware of all the expenses involved if you want to store your baby’s cord blood with a private bank. Private cord blood banking is beneficial if your infant has a biological sibling or family member who could benefit from cord blood. In most instances, baby can’t use their own cord blood.
Yes, there are limitations on who is eligible to give cord blood. A set of requirements provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration determines eligibility. You will have to provide details like your age, any existing medical issues, and much more. These responses are used by cord blood banks to decide whether to accept baby’s cord blood. Some of the concerns are:
o Is mother age older than 18?
o Are you having only one baby?
o The mother, baby’s father, or baby’s sibling(s) has had any kind of cancer?
o Does your baby have any congenital disorders that you’re aware of?
o In the last 12 months, have you had tattoos or piercings where shared or non-sterile inks, needles or instruments were used?
o In the last 12 months, have you needed blood cell or transfusion support?
o Have you been exposed to hepatitis B or hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or tuberculosis?
o Have you used a needle to take a drug not prescribed by a physician in the last 12 months?
o Have you had chemotherapy?
No, cord blood donation has no bearing on how will deliver the baby. If mother gave birth via cesarean (C-section) or vaginal delivery, she could bank cord blood. The baby isn’t harmed in any way during cord blood collection because no blood is taken directly from them. However, if you’re donating cord blood, your healthcare provider needs to be informed weeks in advance.
It is your personal decision to store your baby’s cord blood. You may decide the expense of storing your baby’s cord blood in a private bank makes sense for your family. Or you can decide that using cord blood banking is a great way to pay it forward and help other. In any case, the best course of action is up to you and your family.
Anyone who needs stem cells, including a family member can benefit from cord blood banking. The baby’s cord blood contains stem cells that carry the potential to treat numerous life-threatening diseases, including cancer. Deciding on what to do with your baby’s cord blood is your own personal choice.
Keep in mind that umbilical cord blood that isn’t stored or donated gets thrown away.
Do we really need to bother about Cord Blood Cells
o Every 3 minutes, one person in the USA is diagnosed with blood cancer.
o 1 in 217 will undergo a stem cell transplant by the age of 65 years.
o In India, about 1 in 100 children are diagnosed with Autism.
o In India, about 3 children per 1000 live births are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.
o Every 9 minutes, someone in the USA dies from blood cancer.
o Annually about 120,000 Indians are diagnosed with blood cancers and another 10,000 children are born with Thalassemia.
o As per WHO, India has the third highest number of blood cancer patients in the world after the US and China.
o Current NEED is at least 50,000 Cord Blood Transplants every year in India.
In India, although 1.2 Lakhs New Blood Cancer Patients Are Diagnosed Annually,
Only About 2000 Stem Cell Transplants Are Done Every Year.
Recommendations Of Medical Bodies And
Stem Cell Transplant Physicians
Public cord blood banking serves the actual purpose of preservation by offering a common pool of donor stem cells, increasing the likelihood of finding a match, and broadening the range of treatment options for Indian patients. Thus, private cord blood banking should be actively discouraged.
Consensus Statement of Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) - 15th June, 2018
Since the baby's preserved cord blood will have the same genetic abnormality, it cannot be used for the same child with the majority of blood disorders.
Padma Shri Dr. K. K. Agrawal, Immediate Past President of Indian Medical Association (IMA) - April, 2018
It is extremely unlikely (less than 0.04%) to use one's own cord blood. As a result, it is advisable to donate cord blood to a public bank as it has a very high chance of receiving a unit from there than from a private one.
Recommendations by ACOG,23 AAP24 and ASBMT.
The best way to make technology accessible to the general public is through public cord blood banking, which makes use of India's large birth rate to make potentially life-saving treatments available to patients with serious conditions.
Dr. Purvish Parikh, Director, Precision Oncology and Research, Asian Institute of Oncology, Somaiya Ayurvihar Cancer Care Molecular Oncology Society - May 2017
India has an extremely low rate of cord blood transplants, primarily because of the expensive cost and small number of accessible units. With more than 25,000 cord blood units, the bank should be able to match 96% of its patients with cord blood.
Dr. Rahul Bhargava, Director and Head, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.
