Wednesday 11 March 2015

Cord Blood Banking and its importance

Cord blood bank is a fool proof way of guaranteeing the good health of the baby, its siblings and possibly family members. Cord blood cells or stem cells are the magic cells that ensure future safety against several life threatening diseases.

What are the types of cord blood banks in India?

There are two kinds of cord blood banks–Public and private. Private cord blood banks are the ones where the blood sample which has been collected is kept for the exclusive use of the donor and his family i.e. the donor, its siblings and its family members if they are a match. In the same way, public cord blood banks are the ones where the samples are donated for public use and research purposes. Here, the blood samples can be utilised by anyone who is a match.

What is the procedure of stem cell therapy?

Extraction of cord blood is a very simple and painless method. In this method, the child or the mother is not inconvenienced in any way. The blood sample is extracted from that part of the umbilical cord which is still connected to the placenta. A needle is inserted in the umbilical cord and it does not touch the new born baby at all. It is of utmost importance that the sample is extracted within a few minutes of the baby being born or else the blood starts clotting and becomes useless. After the process of taking the cord blood it has to be immediately transferred to the cord blood bank. It is a facility with a controlled environment. It is monitored round the clock by expert technical staff. Basic requirements for building a cord blood bank is that it should be situated in an area which is not prone to natural disasters and the facility should have adequate measures against fire and such disasters.

What diseases can be cured through cord blood cells?

Cord blood cells have been instrumental in reviving the lives of millions of people across the world. Stem cell treatment has successfully cured patients of more than 80 diseases, some of them life threatening. Many malignant and non-malignant diseases have been treated by stem cell therapy. Some of them are – leukaemia, Autism, anaemia, thalassemia etc.

Importance of cord blood banking

The decision of preserving the baby’s stem cells is a very private decision of the parents. But it is of extreme importance that the parents realise the importance of cord blood banking as this is a once in a life time opportunity. Although, stem cells are also collected from adults but cord blood cells are the best for treatment of several diseases and much more successful too. For young expecting parents it is important to start thinking of umbilical cord banking early as it is important to choose the correct hospital which is able to do the procedure safely. In some of the cord blood banks, there is also the facility of keeping the sample in two places for added safety.

Saturday 7 March 2015

What are the benefits of Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood banking is a relatively new concept in India but it is a major breakthrough in the field of medicine. Researchers are hopeful that stem cell treatment is going to change the face of medicine. Many believe that in the years to come, it will change the way medicine is being practiced presently.

What are the benefits of cord blood banking?

With growing awareness, expecting parents are realising that there are several benefits of cord blood banking. The biggest benefit is that even right now it is being used to cure over 80 diseases successfully and, in future, studies indicate that stem cell transplant is going to be used for curing even common illnesses.Some of the major diseases where stem cell transplant is being used successfully are Leukaemia, Thalassemia, Acute Anaemia etc.

In innumerable cases it has been seen that even the sibling of the donor or a family member has been able to use these samples if they are found to be a match. This is one of the biggest benefits of cord blood banking. This can be done when the sample is being donated to a private storage facility.

What is the procedure of cord blood banking?

The whole process of extracting the blood sample is very easy and completely painless. Within a few minutes of the baby being born and separated from the umbilical cord, a needle is inserted in that part of the umbilical cord which is still connected to the placenta. Once it is inserted, it is used to extract the blood sample from the cord. This takes around 10 minutes only and is a completely painless procedure. While the needle is inserted in the umbilical cord, it is no way near the new born baby.

Once the sample is collected, it is immediately transferred to a storage facility with a controlled environment. Here, a team of expert technicians is on hand to monitor the samples round the clock. These storage facilities are temperature controlled and generally built in an area which is less prone to natural disasters. Proper safeguards are also in place to ensure damage against fire etc. Some of the facilities also offer to keep the samples in two places to provide double protection. Once these cord blood samples are stored they can be used at any time by the donor.

Can the cord blood samples be donated to non family members?


Yes, there is an option of donating it to a public storage facility where the umbilical cord blood sample can be utilised by anybody who is a match and it cannot be kept for the exclusive use of the donor itself. Such public storage facilities are there where they sell the units for patients in need. However buying a umbilical cord blood stem cells are very costly. It can go upto 30,000 US$.

The benefits of cord blood banking are innumerable and it is something which can be done easily if the parents give it a proper thought before the delivery as this is once in a lifetime opportunity