Research has shown that cord blood banking has many medical uses. It has better odds than a traditional bone marrow transplant, especially in children. Sometimes it is extremely hard to find the perfect match in a donor. Research is in full swing and has new advancements and opportunities all the time.
Some people feel this is a fairly new concept. It is not the oldest study done but it has been around since the mid to late 1990s. The first documented case of this type of transplant was in 1988 given to a young boy. It deemed successful and has been rapidly advancing since then.
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 treatment of this cord blood is used for genetic diseases, some types of cancers and various immune system problems. Using your families cord blood can help ward off a lot of complications and improve the overall medical treatment. A lot of times people are unable to use their own donation because it it to similar to what caused their problems in the first place. Siblings have the highest compatibility rate and then parents and grandparents have the next highest rate.
There are two different methods to process these donations. The first is to leave the donation as is and cryogenically freeze it and the other method is to separate the red blood cells and remove them totally from the donation. The only real concern is the time span in which the frozen donation should be used, if it is still viable after so long.
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.
Some people feel this is a fairly new concept. It is not the oldest study done but it has been around since the mid to late 1990s. The first documented case of this type of transplant was in 1988 given to a young boy. It deemed successful and has been rapidly advancing since then.
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 treatment of this cord blood is used for genetic diseases, some types of cancers and various immune system problems. Using your families cord blood can help ward off a lot of complications and improve the overall medical treatment. A lot of times people are unable to use their own donation because it it to similar to what caused their problems in the first place. Siblings have the highest compatibility rate and then parents and grandparents have the next highest rate.
There are two different methods to process these donations. The first is to leave the donation as is and cryogenically freeze it and the other method is to separate the red blood cells and remove them totally from the donation. The only real concern is the time span in which the frozen donation should be used, if it is still viable after so long.
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.
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