Cord blood is the blood that remains inside a baby's umbilical cord after it's been cut. Cord blood, like bone marrow, is incredibly rich in stem cells, which are like the body's master cells that can transform into any type of cell in the human body, according to Cord Blood Registry. Cord blood banking is the ability to collect and preserve stem cells from the umbilical cord blood for potential medical uses in the future. Cord blood banking enables families to have access to better medical treatment options should the child develop diabetes, cancer or sustain some type of brain injury. If the cord blood it not banked, it is discarded after birth.
The Facts
Collecting cord blood is neither painful nor dangerous, it's a matter of wanting to have it collected and being able to afford having it stored. The blood is collected after birth once the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut; the process usually takes no more than five minutes. Organizations such as the Cord Blood Registry (CBR) will then collect the cord blood and have it sent to a laboratory for storage.
Function
Cord blood banking allows you to have an accessible form of stem cells that is easy to retrieve and because a baby's cord blood is cryogenically stored, it's available for transplant whenever it is needed. Bone marrow, on the other hand, is incredibly hard to get a hold of and it's even more difficult to find a donor matching your type.
Considerations
If you have a family history of cancer or diabetes, you may want to consider having your baby's cord blood banked. Also, belonging to specific ethnic or racial groups usually means an extended wait time when searching for a blood donor that matches your HLA type. HLA---or human leukocyte antigen---is a type of protein found in each cell of the human body and is directly related to our immune system. In any type of blood donor or organ transplant procedure, the HLA types from each individual involved must match. In these types of circumstances, having your baby's cord blood banked will ensure that transplants not only happen sooner, but that the process goes more smoothly.
Benefits
Cord blood transplants are capable of treating more than 45 diseases, such as leukemia and other cancers, metabolic disorders, blood disorder, such as sickle-cell anemia and immunodeficiencies, according to PregnancyInfo.net.
Expert Insight
According to the American Association of Pediatrics, the chances of actually using the stem cells retrieved during cord blood banking for later transplant are only one in about 20,000. Also, the typical cord blood harvest is only enough to transplant a child or small adult weighing less than 115 lbs. Given these facts, some families may decide that the expense isn't worth it. CBR, for example, charges a $1,995 enrollment and processing fee and an additional $125/year storage fee, with the cord blood being kept for up to 21 years (prices as of 2009). For some families, however, this price tag may prove to be the best money they ever spent.
