Cord blood is the blood from a baby that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. Cord blood banks store frozen cord blood until someone who is a genetic match requires a transplant.
Umbilical Cord Blood Donation Risks
Cord blood contains special cells called hematopoietic stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells are immature cells that can develop into all types of blood cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Hematopoietic stem cells are the same type of blood-forming stem cells present in a bone marrow transplant. They may help treat over 70 types of disease.
During pregnancy, people can decide whether to have a cord blood collection after giving birth. Collecting cord blood is harmless to both the person giving birth and the newborn.
Cord blood banks freeze and store cord blood samples after collection, ready for future use. There are public and private banking options.
This article will look at the pros and cons of cord blood banking. It will also examine the differences between private and public cord blood banks, the costs, and the procedure.
Pros and cons
Stem cells from cord blood and bone marrow both give rise to other blood cells. Sometimes, however, stem cells from cord blood can be more medically useful than those from bone marrow.
Pros
Some advantages of cord blood banking include the following:
More people can receive stem cells from cord blood than from bone marrow. This is because the cord blood does not have to match that of the person receiving the transplant as closely as with a bone marrow transplant.
There is less chance of a person’s body rejecting the stem cells from cord blood than from bone marrow.
- Cord blood stem cells may support the immune system during cancer treatments. People cannot use stem cells from bone marrow in this way.
- Collecting cord blood is less complicated, painful, and risky for the donor than collecting bone marrow.
- The collection of cord blood poses no risk to the newborn or the person giving birth.
- Cord blood banks can freeze and store cord blood, which means that it is ready for use when needed.
- Donation to a public cord blood bank is free.
- Donation to public cord blood banks may help save the lives of others.
Cons
Some disadvantages of cord blood banking include the following:
Cord blood does not contain many stem cells, which means that adults needing a transplant will require cord blood stem cells from multiple donors.
- People have to pay a fee for storing cord blood in a private bank, which could prove costly.
- Some hospitals may charge a small fee for a public collection.
- People must decide and plan for cord blood donation upfront and provide their consent before labor starts.
- Privately banking cord blood may not be any more effective than undergoing a transplant of stem cells from a stranger.
- Not all hospitals will collect cord blood for public storage.
- Not everyone is eligible to donate cord blood.
Cost
Donating cord blood to a public bank is free. However, some hospitals may charge a small fee for collection.
Storing cord blood in a private blood bank can be expensive and cost around $1,500–$2,500. There are also annual storage fees, which can cost about $125 each year.
People may need to pay for the initial collection kit, processing, and courier service to deliver the cord blood to the bank. This may cost several hundred dollars.
Most Important Questions and Answers by Users
Is donating cord blood safe?
Cord blood donation usually takes place after a baby has been delivered and the umbilical cord is cut. It is considered safe, although in some countries there is discussion about the time at which the umbilical vein should be clamped.
Can you donate umbilical cord blood?
Donating cord blood to a public cord blood bank involves talking with your doctor or midwife about your decision to donate and then calling a cord blood bank (if donation can be done at your hospital). Upon arriving at the hospital, tell the labor and delivery nurse that you are donating umbilical cord blood.
What are the risks of umbilical cord stem cells?
A transplant containing too few HSCs may fail or could lead to slow formation of new blood in the body in the early days after transplantation. This serious complication has been partially overcome by transplanting blood from two umbilical cords into larger children and adults.
What diseases can cord blood cure?
Cord blood contains blood-forming stem cells that can be used in the treatment of patients with blood cancers such as leukemias and lymphomas, as well as certain disorders of the blood and immune systems, such as sickle cell disease and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
Should I store my baby's cord blood?
Doctors recommend that you bank your baby's cord blood only if a family member already has one of these illnesses. You might consider donating the cord blood to a public bank instead. You probably won't be able to use the blood, but it could be used for research or for another child.
Do you get paid for donating cord blood?
Donating cord blood to a public bank in the United States is free. Collecting cord blood for donation is safe and painless for you and your child, because it's done after the umbilical cord is cut. Your donation could be a lifesaving match for a cancer patient.
What are the benefits of umbilical cord stem cells?
The umbilical cord fluid is loaded with stem cells. They can treat cancer, blood diseases like anemia, and some immune system disorders, which disrupt your body's ability to defend itself. The fluid is easy to collect and has 10 times more stem cells than those collected from bone marrow
Can parents use baby's cord blood?
Even though parents are not usually more than a 50% match, they do have the ability to undergo a haploidentical transplant using the baby's cord blood.
