As expectant parents, it’s only natural for your baby’s safety to come first. Everything else slowly fades into the background, and every conversation begins to revolve around giving your little one a healthy future. While there’s no way to control everything that lies ahead, there is a simple step you can take today to protect your baby from the impact of certain serious diseases in the future. Here we are talking about cord blood banking.
This article breaks down everything you need to know about cord blood banking, helping you understand how it works and whether it’s the right choice for your family.
What Is Cord Blood?
As per the name, it’s the blood that remains in the umbilical cord after your baby is born. The cord blood contains RBCs, WBCs, platelets and plasma just like regular blood. But additionally, cord blood also contains a very special type of cell called stem cells. These stem cells have the power to mature into different types of blood cells, making them a treasured resource for treating over 90 medical conditions.
Cord Blood Banking: Introduction
Also known as stem cell banking, this process involves collecting and storing blood from a newborn’s umbilical cord. This blood is rich in stem cells, which can help treat life-threatening diseases, such as leukaemia, genetic disorders, and immune system diseases.
What is the Procedure for Cord Blood Banking?
Cord blood banking is a simple process. After delivery, your healthcare provider clamps the umbilical cord. Before cutting it, using a sterile needle, the doctor draws out the blood from the cord and collects it in the blood collection bag. This derived blood has potential stem cells, which are then preserved and frozen for future medical uncertainties.
Why is Cord Blood Banking Useful for Me?
Cord blood can help treat more than 80 medical conditions. Let’s dive deep into the list of diseases treated by stem cells. These include:
- Cancers: Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukaemia, etc.
- Blood Disorders: Aplastic Anemia, Fanconi Anemia, Beta Thalassemia Major, etc.
- Immune Disorders: Ataxia–telangiectasia, Bare Lymphocyte Syndrome, DiGeorge Syndrome, etc.
- Metabolic Disorders: Krabbe Disease, Hunter Syndrome, Hurler Syndrome, etc.
Benefits of Cord Blood Banking
Below are some advantages of preserving your baby’s cord blood stem cells at birth.
- Rich source of hematopoietic stem cells with the ability to treat various illnesses.
- Umbilical cord blood is collected at birth, tested and preserved. Therefore, it is readily available whenever required.
- Collecting stem cells from umbilical cord blood is a simple procedure that’s safe and poses no danger to the mother or baby.
- Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD) is a condition where the recipient’s body is attacked by transplanted stem cells. And umbilical cord blood has a low risk of developing GVHD.
- As soon as the infant is born, cord blood is collected and preserved. Therefore, there is a lower chance of contamination.
- It is a reliable option for patients who are unable to find a stem cell match with their siblings. A partial cord blood unit match of 6/8 is suitable for transplant.
- It is easy to procure and process cord blood units for transplants
Why Choose LifeCell’s Community Stem Cell Banking?
The benefits of cord blood banking are far too numerous. However, the chance of your baby using their own cord blood stem cells for future treatment is very small. And that’s why the cord blood stored in most private facilities is often discarded.
But in 2017, LifeCell, a trusted name in the field of cord blood banking, pioneered Community Stem Cell Banking. This stem cell banking works on the principle of creating a common pool where all parents, as a community, preserve their baby’s cord blood units. And these cord blood units can be used by anyone belonging to this community at the time they or their family members need a transplant.
Currently, LifeCell boasts a vast repository containing over 85,000 cord blood units. As per ICMR, this equates to a >97% chance of finding a stem cell match, if the need arises. Isn’t that amazing?
Final Thoughts
Your baby’s cord blood stem cells are potentially lifesaving. Hence, as an expectant parent, opting for cord blood banking is undoubtedly a wise choice. However, if you’re still deciding, schedule an appointment with a LifeCell expert at 18002665533. They can help you understand the whole thing better so that you and your family don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
