There are several advantages to cord blood banking. It has been proven to be a better alternative than regular bone marrow transplants. This is true especially in children. Sometimes finding a match with a bone marrow donor is impossible. Although it has been around for a while most people believe it is a new idea. Research in this area is rapidly advancing and researchers soon hope to be able to use the cord for several other alternatives as well.
This type of storage was developed in the 1990s. The first documented use of these cells was in the late 1980s to a young boy. His transplant was successful and opened up the doors for more research to begin.
The process of collecting this is fairly simple. The expecting mother should contact the bank we she wants the blood to be stored before her thirty fourth week of pregnancy. When looking for a cord bank there are two options to choose from. The first is a public bank; there is a list of public banks available on The National Marrow Donor Program website. The second is a private bank. Both are similar but the cost and privacy rules tend to be the deciding factors for most.
The Federal Drug Administration over sees these storage buildings. There are very strict regulations on them. In the public banks once it is donated the families cannot receive their own back. Safety is a concern in the public banks because of the high cost of maintaining the storage unit. They do not charge any type of fee. In private banks however, they charge a very costly fee. The average fee is around twenty five hundred dollars. They also choose to store it with the identity to the owner in case the owner would need to use it in the future.
The cord blood contains stem cells. These cells can make red and white blood cells and platelets. It is collected after the umbilical cord is cut. If wanting additional stem cells they can be collected from the placenta. This is known as placenta cord banking. Before being stored it is tested for a number of things. Some of the diseases include the testing for HIV and both hepatitis B and C. Other testing is for the cell count, fungus or a bacterial growth, cell viability and tissue typing.
The transplants are used to treat diseases as well as immune system problems. Sometimes people cannot use their own because it still may carry a genetic disorder. They may find medical issues with it for themselves but siblings tend to have a higher compatibility rate, at around seventy five percent. Parents and grandparents have about a fifty percent compatibility rate. Using your own families cord blood sometimes improves the outcomes of treatment and may have fewer complications.
There are several different opinions on how to store this for future use. The first is to process it while separating and removing the red blood cells. The other is to leave the red cells to remain with it. The main concern is the potential use of the long term viability of the cryogenically frozen blood. No one really has the best procedure for the preservation.
It is everyone's own opinion whether to preserve this type of tissue. All research done up to this point is very positive. Anything that can help cure illnesses and several genetic diseases is worth at least researching and contemplating because you really do never know when you may need it.
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