Cord Blood Preservation

Normally peoples discard or waste the umbilical cord blood, this blood contains some special stem cells which are used for the treatment of many life-threatening diseases. But now days there are lot of cord blood banks that store this very useful blood for future treatment. Cord blood preservation is important for curing some life-threatening diseases, so care should be done for cord blood preservation.

Generally cord blood is preserved for treating mote than fifty non-malignant and malignant diseases. These diseases include some specific cancers for example leukemia, and immune. Genetic disorders will also treated with cord blood stem cell. Cord blood preservation is very simple process, its pain less. The main important regarding preservation of cord blood procedure, that it is done at the time of birth. Cord blood is the rich source of specific stem cells. Some other sources of stem cells are peripheral blood and bone marrow. But the stem cells found in cord blood have many benefits. Some of the benefits are following-

• The cord blood preservation and collection is simple and risk less process.
• There is no requirement of anesthesia for collecting cord blood, which is required if stem cells are collected from bone marrow.
• Cord blood is always available when needed, if stored.
• Cord blood stem cells are more compatible for transplants, more specific if transplant is done within the family. Cord blood stem cells have less chance of rejection.
• The procurement costs of cord blood is very less as compared to procurement costs of bone marrow harvesting or peripheral blood.
• Cord blood stem cells are more helpful in improving neural repair and bone and tissue growth than other stem cells.

For cord blood preservation parents have to collect cord blood. Cord blood preservation banks do this. This is a simple process and described in previous posting. After collection of cord blood the process of cord blood preservation starts. The process includes some treatment of cord blood after this the cord blood is preserved in cord blood bank.

Cord Blood Banking

The purpose of cord blood banking is to collect cord blood and store. The major purpose of cord blood banking is to provide cord blood stem cells to patients who are suffered from disease such as blood disorder, genetic disorder, liver disease, heart disease etc. The system of cord blood banking is too popular in US there are many blood banks in US both in public and private interest for the storage of coed blood. The major function of cord blood banking is to collect, process, test and then store for a long period of time. These banks store cord blood of many persons for public interest.

Right now in US there is a strong cord blood banking system which have facilities for storing cord blood in public interest such type of banking system called public cord blood banking system. Apart from these banks there are also private cord blood banking system. Such banks are store cord blood for individual interest. As per these banks private, so they charge some fee for both collecting storing. Some times private cord blood banking system also called by name baby cord blood banking. The baby cord blood banking system collect and store your baby cord blood for your family personal use.

The benefit of storing cord blood in a private cord blood banking system is securing the future of your baby, nor only your baby but also the other members of your family. Right now the trend of cord blood is taking high speed; there are lots of parents who contact cord blood banks for storing the cord blood. The major issue is regarding cord blood banking system is quality; how the bank collect and store blood. Currently most of both private and public cord blood banking system is fulfill with most advanced technologies of collecting and storing.

Now come to the cost of cord blood banking. As previously mentioned cord blood donating to public cord blood bank, have no charge. These banks charge only small amount of dollars as a fee of only collecting process. However private or baby cord blood banks are for individual interest so these banks charge fee for bath collecting process and for storage. Generally the cost of collecting cord blood is one time fee and the cost of storing cord blood is on yearly basis. The cost of collecting and storing cord blood is depends on the facilities and technologies used by cord blood banking.

Cord Blood Storage

The procedure of cord blood storage starts from its collection. For the collection of cord blood, two methods are used to collect cord blood from umbilical vein-

• In utero- Before the placenta is delivered
• Ex utero- After the placenta is delivered

In in-utero cord blood collection method the blood is collected after the baby has been delivered (i.e. after the birth of baby) but before the delivery of placenta. The procedure starts from un clamping of umbilical cord is clamped off from the new fetal, then the placenta is placed in sterile supporting structure with the umbilical cord hanging through the support. Through gravity drainage yielding cord blood is collected, normally its amount is 40-150 ml.

Same is in the ex-utero cord blood collection method; the only difference is; after the delivery of placenta cord blood is collected.

After the collection process there is need of shipping to cord blood bank instantly. The professionals of cord blood bank before storage check the blood for infectious agents and then tissue type is determined. Now the process of cord blood storage starts, but before storage cord blood is processed red blood cells are depleted out form blood. After this cord blood is stored in liquid nitrogen.

Parents who are looking for cord blood storage have only two options, either they go for a public blood bank (donate cord blood) or go for private blood bank. The private blood bank charges some fee for the storage of cord blood and also charge for the collection process. The approximately cost for cord blood collection is $2000 and the storage charge is $125/year.

Cord blood

Umbilical cord blood the a type of human blood which is rich in hematopoietic stem cells found between placenta and umbilical cord. At he time of a delivery of pergnant women the umbilical cord is detacched from the new born and cord blood is collected. This blood have a good source of stem cells used for transplantation.

There are both public and private cord blood for storage purpose. Private cord blood banks generally store cord blood for earning profit, while public cord blood banks store cord blood for the benefit of general public. In US there is an programe named National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), under this most of public cord blood banks works. The stem cells which are found in cord blood have more chance of matching family members than bone marrow stem cell. Cord blood stem cell are also more proliferative than other.

Cord blood stem cells are used for the treatment of cancers, immune-sytem and blood related genetic diseases and disorders.

Cord Blood Sitemap

RSS-XML

February 2007 Archive
Cord blood
Cord Blood Storage
Cord Blood Banking
Cord Blood Preservation