Cord blood is quite literally the blood that is left inside the umbilical cord when it is cut from your infant. Today, the stem cells that are found in cord blood can be used to treat diseases that are life-threatening in nature for both your child as well as close blood relatives in some cases.
The cord blood of your child contains stem cells. In this case, those stem cells are available to you without the raging controversy that is found in the stem cells of others or of aborted fetuses meaning that it’s a source that is readily available without being legally controlled.
The benefit that stem cells from cord blood can offer is well documented and the continuing research into stem cells means that we can continue to explore areas such as diabetic cures, stroke reparation, and even help for heart attacks and heart diseases.
Keeping the cord blood from your child will help you to be sure that you have a perfect match in the event that there are ever any problems for your child. There is no risk that the stem cells won’t be compatible since they are a perfect match. In addition there is a very good chance that the brothers and sisters of your child can also be a match-up so that if they are in need, these stem cells can be used.
Statistics tell us that transplants of stem cells are nearly three times more likely to be a success when they come from someone who is closely related to you instead of someone who isn’t related in any way.
Although public stem cell banks do exist, they are far more likely to be rejected by your family member if they aren’t originally from someone who is a close blood relative of theirs. Making sure that you store the cord blood of your children then becomes doubly important in case there is ever a need , not just by that child, but by someone else in the immediate family.
Why Is Cord Blood Saved-What Makes Cord Blood Special?
The cord blood that is saved is being used to treat some types of immuno-deficiencies, some blood dyscrasias, as well as various types of genetic issues and in some cases even very rare or not-so-rare forms of cancer.
Among the things that cord blood may be used to treat, or to attempt to treat, just a few are listed below, with very brief, incomplete descriptions:
Acute myeloid leukemia – a cancer that effects blood and bone marrow.
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia – a cancer of the myeloid cells in the bone marrow
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a cancer of the lymphatic system
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia – a rare form of cancer of the bone marrow
Autoimmune neutropenia – most common in infants, a problem with too few white blood cells
Glanzmann’s disease – a rare genetic bleeding disorder
Severe aplastic anemia – a blood disorder with bone marrow making too few new blood cells
Dyskeratosis congenita – a severe bone marrow failure syndrome
Sickle-cell anemia – blood disorder that affects red blood cells
Cerebral Palsy – motor conditions that cause physical disability in humans
Tay-Sachs Disease – a fatal genetic lipid storage disorder
Osteopetrosis – nherited defect in bone resorption causing bones to become abnormally thick
Diabetes – high blood sugar, usually when the body does not produce enough insulin
Cord Blood Storage-Cord Blood Banking-What Is It and How Is It Done?
Banking your cord blood means to collect it and store it properly.
By choosing to permit this at the birth of your child, you may me bamking a choice that could save the life of your child or potentially one of your other family members. It only makes good sense to keep something that valuable and important medically.
How Cord Blood is Stored and Processed Prior to Storing It
When you select the option to store your child’s cord blood, testing is done to find out the exact volume that needs to be stored as well as what the concentration of stem cells will be. It is also tested prior to storage for any type of contamination by bacteria and by fungus to assure that it is pure and will be healthful and helpful in the even that you need it.
Closed systems are used for the testing in order to assure that your cord blood is not contaminated in any way by airborne bacteria. The plasma and cells are then removed and the remainder is placed in a bag known as a cryobag. At the same time, the blood of the mother is also being tested to assure that she has no communicable diseases that may have been passed to the infant and be present in those cells which are going to be stored.
Once this is done the cord blood is then sent into what is known as cryostorage, or frozen at remarkably low temperatures, about negative 170 degrees Celsius.
Cord blood storage units nearly all offer guarantees that they have preserved the cells correctly and if there is ever the need for them and they are not available or have not properly taken root and begun to grow–are rejected– they will offer you replacement stem cells or find you what you need to assist you i the transplant process.
Cryostorage is the only proper way to assure that stem cells or cord blood are properly preserved and will be a viable means to help to protect your child, or a sibling, in the long range.