Cord Blood Banking
What is cord blood banking?
- Started in the 1970’s
- Immediately after birth, a baby has its umbilical cord clamped to release them from the mother
- Shortly after that, the mother delivers the placenta and remainder of the umbilical cord.
- Before the cord and placenta are delivered, blood and stem cells are taken from the veins present and stored into syringes or special bags
- The specimen is sent to a cord blood bank by a special courier and the cells are separated out and frozen (in liquid nitrogen)
- Prior to the freezing process, blood cells are tested for infections and genetic defects. If something abnormal is found, the infant’s parents are notified.
- Then later, if needed, stem cells can be thawed and given to another person (close relative or anonymous donor) or used for oneself;
What is the difference between public and private cord blood donation?
- Private cord blood banking is storing your child’s blood for his/her future use or for a family member; this is a paid service with a for profit company
- Public cord blood banking (aka donation) means that a child’s cord blood is stored for anyone in need of a transplant or may be used for research.
If a parent decides on cord blood donation how far in advance should they notify the bank?
- At the 34th week of pregnancy (4-6 weeks prior to delivery)
Is this the right thing for my baby and me?
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends banking cord blood if you have a close relative or sibling with a medical condition that could benefit from bone marrow transplant with umbilical stem cells
- Banking cord blood “just in case”, like a type of “insurance policy” against illness is not yet advised; The technology is new and currently
- No research exists yet that says cord blood is superior to traditional bone marrow donation from a sibling or stranger.
- And again, the umbilical stem cells may cause disease to come up again in a child from whom they were harvested
What should you look for in a private cord blood bank if you decide to go that route?
- Is your cord blood company financially stable?
- How many specimens are processed in the facility?
- Can you switch storage facilities if you so choose?
- What happens to your baby’s cells if the company goes bankrupt?
- What are the costs for initial collection and processing? What are the yearly maintenance fees? Will the fees ever go up? Or are they fixed?
- What type of price range should a parent expect to pay for private cord blood banking?
- Approximately $1500 to store and collect a sample of cord blood and an additional yearly maintenance fee of ~$100
- There is no charge to donate cord blood to a public cord blood bank
- Can my child’s cord blood be taken without my knowledge or consent?
- No. An informed consent must be obtained before your child’s cord blood can be taken
- If a child’s cord blood is donated to a public bank, can it be retrieved for his or her personal use?
- No. However, many times a person would not be able to use their own blood anyway because their umbilical cord stem cells will carry the same genetic defects as their other body cells
- Also, parents who donate their child’s blood should notify their bank if some new illness is found in the baby
- How long is cord blood viable in storage?
- We don’t know yet. The process is relatively new. The oldest known specimen used for transplant was 14 yrs old. However, if the cryogenic process works successfully the cells should last indefinitely.
- What conditions can be curently treated with cord blood cells?
- Certain childhood cancers (Leukemia, lymphoma)
- Bone Marrow Failure (aplastic anemia)
- Blood diseases/problems with hemoglobin (severe sickle cell anemia and thalassemia)
- Immune system disorders (SCID – severe combined immune deficiency)
- Metabolic diseases
Recommended websites:
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/summertips.htm (main source for this information)
http://www.kidsource.com/safety/summer.safety.art.html
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/cgi-bin/search.pl
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/west_nile.html