What is cord blood and what are the benefits of cord blood banking?

• The blood that remains in your baby’s umbilical cord after it has been cut is called cord blood which is rich in stem cells. These valuable cells which are genetically unique to your baby and family, can only be collected in the minutes after your baby’s birth.
• Preserving your newborn’s stem cells is called cord blood banking and allows you to have your baby’s cord blood saved for potential medical uses to treat life-threatening diseases. If you do not choose to bank your baby’s cord blood, it will be discarded after birth.
• You have only one chance to save your baby’s cord blood for your family since it can only be collected immediately after birth.
• Many expectant families choose to bank their baby’s cord blood for peace of mind, knowing that stem cells can be lifesaving to their baby and family.
• Saving your baby’s cord blood is important since using your own family’s cord blood, if needed, has been shown to have significant advantages compared to using cord blood from an unrelated donor.
• Your baby will be a perfect genetic match for the stem cells as will the baby’s mom due to her carrying the child during pregnancy.
• Dad will share at least 50% genetic matching with the baby.
• It is twice as likely that siblings will be able to use each other’s cord blood stem cells compared to each other’s bone marrow.
• First and second degree relatives may also be able to use your newborn’s stem cells if they are a sufficient genetic match.
• Cord blood stem cells have current and emerging uses in medical treatment:
• Today nearly 70 serious diseases have been treated with cord blood stem cells including leukemia, other cancers and blood disorders.
• Doctors are working to develop stem cell treatments for heart disease, juvenile diabetes, brain injury and more.

“My family does not have a history of diseases, so my doctor did not recommend.”

• Genetic history is only one risk factor for disease, and doesn’t guarantee immunity. Many other things, like environmental factors, can contribute heavily to disease.
• Ultimately we can’t predict what our future health will be and one advantage of saving your own cord blood stem cells it gives you access to a wider range of treatment options in the future should you need it.
• The science of cord blood stem cells is changing very rapidly. In fact, just last month new physician guidelines recognized the value of cord blood stem cells and encouraged health care providers to educate all expectant parents on their options for preserving cord blood stem cells.
• It is fairly typical in healthcare and medicine to see a range of opinions; however we continue to see progress being made in this area
• Your baby will be a perfect genetic match and may use these stem cells to treat nearly 70 diseases including cancers and blood disorders. Doctors are working to develop stem cell treatments for heart disease, juvenile diabetes, brain injury and more.
• Your baby’s biological siblings are twice as likely to be able to use your newborn’s cord blood stem cells for treatment of cancers or genetic diseases versus bone marrow stem cells.
• Mom will be able to use her baby’s stem cells due to a compatibility that occurs during gestation.
• Dad has a 50% genetic match with the newborn.
• First and second degree relatives may also be able to use your newborn’s stem cells if they are a sufficient genetic match.

What provider do you recommend?

• We recommend Cord Blood Registry (CBR) because it is the leader in the industry, the world’s largest and most experienced cord blood bank.
• CBR has significantly more experience in providing samples for transplant than any other family cord blood bank.
• CBR is recommended most by Ob/Gyns and chosen most by expectant families.
• CBR saves more cells for your family with the highest published rate of recovering cells from cord blood (99%) which is important if you ever need them.
• CBR has a highly safe lab and storage location in Tucson, Arizona.
• CBR has a proven track record of financial and long-term stability, and its lab has been processing cord blood since 1992.
• CBR has programs to make cord blood banking affordable:
  • A payment program available that makes the monthly cost less than the average cell phone or utility bill,
  • A Gift Registry program that allows your family and friends to help in providing this gift to your child and
  • The Designated Transplant Program where certain families qualify for free cord blood banking. More info

Diseases Treated

Doctors and scientists, world wide, are revolutionizing new areas of medicine with stem cells. By banking your newborn’s cord blood, you can provide your baby with exciting new treatment options to:

• Repair nerve cells to heal brain and spinal cord injuries or brain injury caused by stroke.
• Regenerate cells to form new blood vessels: to treat heart and circulatory disease.
• Replace damaged cells to improve recovery from cardiovascular disease, heart attack, or injury.
• Regenerate brain cells to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

These exciting advances are in addition to nearly 70 serious diseases already being treated by stem cells, saving kids from leukemia, cancers, and blood disorders right now.

See a List of all Treated Diseases

Saving your baby’s cord blood is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To help you make as informed a choice as possible, here are answers to some common uncertainties:

Q: Since we don’t have a family history of disease, is banking cord blood really necessary?

A: Family history is only one risk factor for disease, and doesn’t guarantee immunity. Many other things, like environmental factors, can contribute heavily to disease. And cord blood holds tremendous promise for treating injuries like brain damage, spinal cord repair, and tissue growth – possibilities no one can rule out.

Q: My OB didn’t mention it to me, so can it really be that important?

A: Many states now have legislation that requires OBs share this important information with their pregnant patients. Your state might not have passed this law yet and/or your doctor might not know a lot of details.

Q: We want to bank our baby’s cord blood, but how can we afford it?

A: CBR has three programs to help: payment plans as low as $59 a month; a Gift Registry that lets friends and families contribute to your enrollment; and a Designated Transplant Program where certain families qualify for free cord blood banking.

We asked OBs to answer the top 3 questions pregnant women have about cord blood banking.

Q: Should I bank my baby’s cord blood?

A: Yes, I recommend it. Research shows that cord blood stem cells have the potential to develop into – or repair – almost all types of cells and tissues in the body. So saving your child’s stem cells secures your best treatment options today and tomorrow.

• Dr.Karen Smith, Ob-Gyn and Mom to Emma and Sarah

Q: What are the odds that my family will need to use stem cells?

A: The odds that a family will need to use stem cells have been reported as frequent as 1 in 200, however these odds do not include the anticipated use of stem cells to treat disorders such as heart disease, diabetes, brain injury and other common disorders. As advances in medicine continue to increase, so too will the expected use of stem cells.

• Dr.Brian Bernick, Ob-Gyn

Q: Which family cord blood bank should I use?
A: I recommend CBR to all my patients. They’re the most experienced bank in the world, they recover the most cells, and they’re stable – meaning they’ll be here to protect your family for a lifetime.

- Dr. Kim Powers, Ob-Gyn and Mom to Terrence and Laura

What are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are considered to be the body’s “master” cells because they create all other tissues, organs, and systems in the body. The stem cells found in cord blood are the building blocks of your blood and immune system and most readily reproduce into:

Red Blood Cells – which carry oxygen to all the cells in the body
White Blood Cells – which fight infection
Platelets – which aid in clotting in the event of injury

There are three sources where stem cells are commonly found and they are:

• Bone Marrow
• Peripheral Blood (the blood that circulates through your body)
• Cord Blood

The ability of cord blood stem cells to differentiate, or change into other types of cells in the body is a new discovery that holds significant promise for improving the treatment of some of the most common diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s.

There are many exciting advances happening with stem cells. Right now, doctors are focusing on newborn stem cells and their potential to:

• Regenerate brain cells—to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
• Repair nerve cells—to heal brain and spinal cord injuries or brain damage caused by stroke
• Regenerate cells to form new blood vessels—to treat heart and circulatory disease
• Replace damaged cells—to improve recovery from cardiovascular disease, a heart attack, or injury. By saving your newborn’s stem cells, you provide your child with options to benefit from these emerging therapies.

Although they are routinely discarded, newborn stem cells have unique biology that is important in medical treatments. Newborn stem cells are 8-10 times more proliferative than adult cells, and are much more compatible with family members versus adult cells. For example, siblings are twice as likely to be compatible with their newborn cells compared to their same adult stem cells. And unlike adult cells, newborn stem cells are “healthy” in that they have not been exposed to viruses, pollution, or disease in the vast majority of cases.

Cord blood is the blood rich in stem cells that remains in a baby’s umbilical cord and placenta following birth.

Parents have the choice, immediately after the birth of their baby, to preserve their baby’s cord blood for use by their own family, or donate it to a public bank (if available), or to throw it away. Regrettably, this amazing resource is being discarded, its potential benefits lost forever, due to lack of knowledge by parents nationwide.

Since your baby’s stem cells are genetically unique to your child and family, and using cells from a relative is the best source of stem cells in treating diseases, cord blood banking has been called a type of “biological insurance”.

Banking cord blood is an important investment that you can make in your family’s health and helps ensure the best chance of survival when the cells are used. In fact, newborn stem cells from a relative have resulted in more than double the survival rates compared to stem cells from unrelated donors. And your child and family may have significantly better options in medical treatments or cures for cancers as well as common conditions like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

In addition, they can be immediately available if they are needed which can minimize disease progression. Because the cells found in cord blood are “naive,” or undeveloped, the cells do not have to “match” the patient as closely as bone marrow and therefore can be used by siblings or other relatives in many circumstances where bone marrow stem cells cannot.

Lastly, unlike the adult stem cells in your body, your newborn’s stem cells are “healthy” as they have not been exposed to environmental contamination or viruses.

Considering that nearly 70 serious diseases are already being successfully treated with stem cells, and the fact that the number will very likely increase in the coming years, cord blood banking is a prudent investment in your family’s health.

Family Banking & Public Donation

Many parents wonder what the differences are between Family Cord Blood Banking and Public Donation of their newborn’s stem cells. The following comparison table provides a brief view of these two important options.

By Brent N. Davidson, M.D.

Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your baby. It’s an exciting time and you probably have a lot on your mind anticipating the arrival of your new baby. It’s also a time that presents an opportunity to do something extraordinary for your baby and your family – the opportunity to preserve your newborn’s cord blood stem cells.

Currently, the stem cells in your baby’s cord blood can be used in the treatment of over 70 chronic or life-threatening diseases. Diseases like Leukemia and other cancers, genetic and blood diseases, and a range of immune system deficiencies. Plus, researchers are now looking to cord blood for answers to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and muscular dystrophy.

You only get one chance to preserve your baby’s cord blood. That’s why it’s critical to select a high quality cord blood company. Here are key questions to ask before selecting a cord blood company:

1. Is the company accredited by The American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)?

   Make sure the cord blood banking company you are considering is fully accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) specifically for the processing of cord blood stem cells. The AABB is the only accreditation that ensures high standards of quality for the processing and storage of your baby’s cord blood.

   Some banks are fee-paying members of the AABB, but that’s not the same as being fully accredited. To be accredited, the cord blood banking company must have its laboratory and administrative procedures reviewed, inspected and validated regularly and their procedures must be compliant with the guidelines established by AABB for cord blood processing.

   It’s even better if the cord blood banking company you select is recognized by AABB as having procedures that represent exceptional and novel practices in the industry.

2. How experienced is the cord blood banking company and do they guarantee their product?

   You should ask the company you’re considering how many cord blood units they have stored, and whether they have facilitated any successful transplants.

   You should be cautious of a company that has a high number of cord blood units collected and stored, but has never or rarely used a unit for transplant. It could mean transplant physicians have rejected their cord blood – a warning flag that the company’s procedures are not thorough.

   Best of all is if the company offers a quality product guarantee. This ensures the fact that you are dealing with a quality-conscious company dedicated to providing the highest quality processing and cryopreservation of your baby’s cord blood.

3. Is the company financially stable?

   Cord blood banking is a costly industry. Some companies have gone out of business and parents actually have lost their cord blood units. Assessing a company’s long-term financial future is difficult, however there are a few critical questions you should ask. The first is, what the company would do with your cord blood if they were to go out of business. Be sure the company you are considering has a reasonable plan to accommodate customers, such as a formal written agreement with another medical facility where they would take over the management of the cord blood units.

   You should also ask how long the company has been preserving cord blood. In addition, you should find out if the company is a division of larger corporation, and whether there are academic affiliations, research collaborations and equity partnerships with major biotechnology companies. This would provide proof that the company is committed to researching and developing further applications for cord blood stem cell therapy and will most likely be around for the long term.

4. Does their service include bedside pick up by a Private Medical Courier and do they employ state-of-the-art tracking technology to ensure timely delivery?

   Look for a company that handles the logistics and uses a private medical courier to ensure the quickest, highest quality pick-up and delivery of your baby’s cord blood. The company should arrange to pick up your baby’s cord blood from your bedside in the hospital and transport it to the laboratory 24-hours a day, any day of the week, weekend or holiday. The company should manage all courier and transportation logistics, including accurate tracking of sample handling, and should be committed to transporting the cord blood unit to the laboratory within 24 hours of the baby’s birth to ensure maximum viability.

   The three areas proven to increase and maintain cell viability are timing, pressure and temperature regulation, all of which are controlled by the use of a private medical courier. This ensures the cord blood unit is kept at the proper temperature and pressure during transport and ensures the cord blood unit it delivered to the laboratory within 24 hours. With a private medical courier, your child’s cord blood gets to the lab quickly and safely while avoiding the potentially damaging temperature swings and pressure changes that happen with standard package carriers. This maximizes the number of cells that can be used in a transplant should you ever need them.

5. How does the company collect and store your child’s cord blood?

   Look for a company that uses the Gravity Bag Collection method (vs. Syringe method). The Gravity Bag is the collection method most preferred by doctors and it is designed to collect the greatest volume of cord blood. It’s the industry standard method used by the majority of blood banks and similar to the methods used by the American Red Cross and the National Institutes of Health. It is important to collect as much cord blood as possible, as results show that larger samples produce more viable stem cells. The Gravity Bag method allows for the most cord blood to flow into the bag. In addition, the closed tube/bag system eliminates exposure to airborne bacteria and greatly reduces likelihood of contamination during collection. Be sure the company you are looking at provides a sterile collection protocol to allow for collections to be performed during C-sections and emergency births.

   Look at how the company stores the cord blood after processing. Look for a company that cryopreserves the processed cord blood in multi-compartment, transplant-ready Cryobags. Cryobags allow for higher cell recovery rates and a higher cell viability rate compared to other storage methods like Cryovials. While storage in Cryovials is less expensive for cord blood companies, it does not maximize the value of the stem cells for families. The superiority of the Cryobags allow for higher cell recovery and higher viability than Cryovials.

   Additionally, the company should store a small amount of processed cord blood in aliquots – a small compartment of cord blood designed for pre-transplantation testing. The benefit is that the testing can be done without disturbing the primary compartments. With the Cryovial method, an entire vial must be thawed and used to perform this necessary pre-transplantation testing procedure.

6. Does the company have a Medical Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB) made up of notable authorities in the field of cord blood stem cell preservation and transplantation?

   The company you are considering should have a Medical Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB) made up of thought leaders in the field of stem cell transplantation and cord blood preservation. Ask how the company uses their MSAB. They should meet regularly to set quality standards within the company and thereby help to maintain the highest and most advanced level of service available.

7. Is the company committed to research for future applications of cord blood?

   Look for a company that actively participates and invests in research and development of cord blood stem cell therapies. If a cord blood company is committed to research, it’s a good indication that the company is also committed to the future, which means they are more likely to have financial stability. Another potential benefit — any medical breakthroughs developed by their R&D division will have been conducted using their own processing and cryopreservation methodology. In other words, you may be in a better position to benefit from their discoveries by using their processing techniques as opposed to methods used by other cord blood companies.

Public cord-blood banks.
A big concern with public cord-blood banking is how to guarantee the safety of the cord blood. Privacy of the donor is a concern and it is maintained by most ethical review boards that the cord blood donated cannot be permanently linked to the donor. Even though the donated cord blood is put through a series of tests for possible harmful genetic disorders or viruses, some genetic disorders such as congenital anemia’s or immunodeficiency’s might not show in a donor for months or years.

By that time all donor identifying information has long since been removed and there is a danger that the recipient of the cord blood could develop these disorders also.

The largest hindrance facing public cord-blood banking is the exorbitant costs needed to open them and maintain them. There are only a few in operation. Public cord-blood banks do not charge storage fees and many of the medical centers can’t afford to establish or maintain them. You also run into the fear that the ones that are in existence might not have the funds to ensure there is a large enough staff to make sure the cord blood samples are handled properly with the right procedures.

Private cord-blood banks.
Initial costs can be a draw back for some parents because the service is not always covered by medical insurance. However, private cord-blood banking is an affordable investment for most families as most private banks come with payment plans. Often, the payment plans are very reasonable so that the arrangements can fit into most budgets.

With private cord-blood banks, the parents can control how and if the blood will be used and the stem cells are only generally accessed if the donor or a family member needs a transplant.

So it really depends on why you are banking your newborn’s cord blood. If you are doing it for stem cell research or just donating to a good cause then for the most part a public bank will be a viable option. However, if you have a medical history of illness that cord blood can help in the treatments of said illness then by far the better bet is to bank it in a private cord-blood bank so you will have it at your immediate disposal and know where it came from.

If you decide that banking your newborn’s cord blood is for you then you need to choose the right cord-blood bank for your needs. Make sure to start your cord-blood bank search early on so you have time to consider all your options before having to choose one. Begin by compiling a list of cord-blood banks and then request information from them. Cross check with doctors and other cord-blood bankers to weed out the undesirable cord-blood banks.

The track record of a cord blood facility should be your number one research issue. The longer a cord bank has been in business, the more likely that it is likely to be a good bet. The choice you make is a choice being made not for you, but for your child or future children.

Do not automatically choose a blood bank near you and assume that it is the best bank for you based on that alone. A banks’ center of operations and their storage facility might not even be in the same state. Make sure you place the importance on choosing the bank that fits your needs and isn’t just a matter of location.

Here are a few questions to take into account before you decide on a cord-blood bank.

How stable is the cord-blood bank you’re looking into financially. You need to worry about the chances of having to transfer your cord blood to another bank if the facility it is at closes for any reason.

How big the bank is and how many cord blood units do they process? The reality of the situation is the more business the bank does usually means more staff and better handling procedures.

If you want to change facilities, are you going to be free to or are you going to be locked into a contract? That means you have no transferring options for whatever reason you might need. Even if you just decide that another bank is better for you.

Check the safeguards the bank has in place should something happen and they go out of business. Will they help you transfer it, give you enough time to have it transferred, or will it be lost?

Do extensive research on the yearly fees for maintenance costs and insurance. Make sure you know what you’re getting into and that there are no surprises. Will the fees increase over time? Are they fixed? Do there seem to be any unreasonable charges or attempts to hide pricing?

If cord-blood banking is so great, why isn’t everyone doing it? Well for one it’s expensive and it isn’t a routine hospital procedure. It is something you have to choose and plan for ahead of time. You need to be sure you consider your decision carefully before delivery day. Here are some pros and cons to help with your decision making.

Family banks provide payment plans and gift registries to make cord blood banking affordable for more families. Many family banks also offer free cord blood processing and storage to families with an existing medical need. The price range can be anywhere from $1500 to $2000 dollars to cover the collection and storage of the baby’s cord blood. The private medical courier fee is $100 to $200 and that covers the transportation of the baby’s cord blood from the birthing room to the bank’s lab. Yearly storage fees range anywhere from $125 to $200 and they cover the maintenance and storage of the baby’s cord blood. On the plus side, a lot of cord-blood banks offer payment plans.

The biggest reason parents consider cord-blood banking for their newborn is because they may have a family medical history of diseases that can be treated bone marrow transplants. Cord blood would be handy to have on tap to prevent having to look for a matching donor for a bone marrow transplant.

The risks to the mother’s health or the baby’s at the time of collection are low, but nonexistent. If the umbilical cord is clamped too soon after the baby’s birth it could possibly increase the amount of blood that is collected but it could also cause the baby to have a lower blood volume and possibly have anemia soon after birth.

Is cord-blood banking right for you? As you evaluate the reasons for banking cord blood and begin to research cord-blood bank facilities, there are things that need to be considered and cautions to keep in mind.

It is important to note that the AAP guidelines issued in January 2007 are based on outdated statistics and do not recognized the tenant of informed choice – that expectant parents should be informed of all their cord blood preservation options in order to make the best decision for their family. In more recent guidelines issued in January 2008, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recognized the value of cord blood stem cells and encouraged health care providers to educate expectant parents on their options for preserving them. Parents of children of ethnic or racial minorities are especially encouraged to bank cord blood because it is statistically harder to find a match for those children.

Other doctors and researchers suggest saving umbilical cord blood from every delivery — mainly because they feel stem-cell research is key for possible cures for various diseases in the future. The odds of needing stem cells are much higher than previously thought. In the United States, the lifetime probability (up to age 70) that an individual will undergo an autologous transplant (using his or her own stem cells) is 1 in 435; the lifetime probability to undergo an allogeneic transplant (using donor cells including those from a sibling) is 1 in 400; and the overall odds of undergoing any stem cell transplant is 1 in 217. This doesn’t account for future advances in regenerative medicine.

ght now cord blood is used to help replace the healthy blood that radiation and/or chemotherapy destroyed while trying to treat the disease. Researchers are working endlessly with cord blood stem cells in an effort to research new ways to use cord blood to help cure and treat other serious diseases. Hopefully in the near future we will have cures for the following illnesses.

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) – is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder. It is characterized by tremors, rigidity, slow movement, poor balance, and difficult walking. The brain stops making dopamine which controls the neurotransmitters which regulate movement. Researches hope to have stem cells replicate and become dopamine producing neurons and therefore wiping PD out. It is thought that PD may be the first disease to be amenable to treatment using stem cell transplantation. Diabetes – is caused by the pancreas not producing any insulin or not enough insulin to regulate blood sugars. Researchers are trying to find a way to have stem cells rejuvenate the pancreas and enable it to start producing efficient amounts of natural insulin.- Type 1 (commonly known as juvenile diabetes) – is believed to be an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produces insulin. Your body stops producing insulin, causing you to be manufactured insulin dependent in most cases. This type is usually diagnosed in childhood or early adolescence and usually coincides with an illness or injury of some kind.- Type 2 (commonly referred to as adult onset diabetes) – is thought to have a genetic link and tends to run in families. Some risk factors for developing this diabetes type are: high blood pressure, high blood fat levels, gestational diabetes (becoming a diabetic while pregnant), high-fat diet, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and aging.

Alzheimer’s Disease – is a progressive and fatal brain disease. Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing severe problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. This disease severely affects a person’s work, hobbies, and social life. It gets worse over time and is fatal. Alzheimer’s is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if researchers could find away to make stem cells revitalize the brain making this deadly disease non existent? Researchers are still examining cord blood stem cells and perfecting on how to use these cells for treatments. It is hoped as well as expected that in the future cord blood will be used to treat the diseases listed as well as breast cancer, heart disease, liver disease, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries, as well as stroke.

Definition of regenerative medicine: Cord blood stem cells are currently being evaluated and showing promise for use in regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine is a rapidly developing field of medicine and research focused on developing treatments which can repair, replace or regenerative damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs.

Current regenerative medicine studies: Human studies evaluating cord blood stem cell therapies for type 1 diabetes, cerebral palsy, and brain injury are underway. Additional conditions currently being studied in preclinical animal research include: heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and liver disease.

Likelihood of benefiting from regenerative medicine: Current estimates indicate that 1 in 3 Americans could benefit from regenerative medicine.

Types of cells used in regenerative medicine: For use in regenerative therapies, current science suggests that access to autologous (one’s own) stem cells offers better treatment options for patients. The only way to guarantee access to one’s own cord blood stem cells is to store them in a family (private) bank.

ell, there was the when and why cord blood is used. Cord blood stem cells are currently used to treat more than 70 chronic or life-threatening conditions. Here is a list of some of the more commonly known illnesses that use cord blood therapy and what they are.

• Leukemia – is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The bone marrow makes unformed cells called blasts and in AML the blasts are abnormal. They do not develop into healthy cells and cannot fight off infection. The amount of abnormal cells (leukemia cells) grows quickly and crowd out the normal blood cells that the body needs.The different kinds of leukemiaAcute myelogenous leukemia – makes all blood cells abnormal (fast-growing)
• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia - makes abnormal white blood cells (fast-growing)
• Chronic myelogenous leukemia – makes too many white blood cells (slow-growing)
• Chronic lymphoblastic leukemia – makes too many immature / abnormal white blood cells (slow-growing)
• Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia – is a very rare type that is only found in children and occurs most often in infants and children under four years old.
• Sickle cell disease: Sickle cell disease is an inherited, life-threatening blood disorder which causes red blood cells, normally round and soft, to form rigid crescent shapes, which clump together and block small blood vessels in the body. Sickle cell disease causes chronic pain, serious infection, and organ damage.1 Stem cell transplantation (including transplantation using cord blood stem cells) is the only curative treatment for sickle cell disease.
• Aplastic anemia: Aplastic anemia is a serious blood disorder that causes the bone marrow to produce insufficient quantities of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Stem cell transplantation, including transplantation using cord blood, is the best treatment option for many patients with aplastic anemia, because it usually cures the disease.
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma (also known as Hodgkin’s disease) – is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is a part of your immune system. Cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and may spread to the rest of the body. As it progresses, it compromises the body’s ability to fight infection.Severe aplastic anemia – is a disease of the bone marrow. Basically the bone marrow stops making enough of the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets to support the body. Unlike leukemia, the blood cells the bone marrow makes are healthy and normal the bone marrow just doesn’t produce enough of them. People with this disease are at risk for life-threatening infections or bleeding.Fanconi anemia – is a genetically inherited type of severe aplastic anemia.Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) – is a rare potentially life-threatening disease of the blood characterized by anemia and red urine due to the breakdown of red blood cells.
• Pure red cell aplasia – is a type of anemia that affects the production of red blood cells and not the production of platelets or white blood cells. The bone marrow stops making red blood cells.Amegakaryocytosis / congenital thrombocytopenia – a platelet disorder with low platelet counts and large platelet size.Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) – is defined by a usually severe defect in the T- and B- lymphocyte systems. It is often called the “bubble boy disease” after the world learned of David Vetter, the boy who lived for twelve years in a plastic, germ-free bubble.Sickle cell disease – is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. The red blood cells contain mostly hemoglobin* S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Sometimes these cells become shaped like a sickle and have a hard time passing through small blood vessels. The sickle cells cause blockage in the blood vessels and less blood can reach that part of the body. If tissue does not receive the normal amount of blood becomes damaged and this causes the complications of sickle cell disease.

So the cord blood is now cryogenically (fancy word for using nitrogen to freeze things) frozen and banked, now what? Under what conditions would the cord blood be used? The stem cells found in cord blood are used mainly for transplants and stem cell research. Serious illnesses like certain cancers, immune system disorders, and blood diseases require blood transplants and transfusions.

The treatments used for these illnesses use radiation and/or chemotherapy to kill the diseased cells in the body. A serious draw back of this treatment is that it kills off the healthy cells along with all the sick ones — including the healthy stem cells that live in bone marrow and which are responsible for creating all the new blood cells for our bodies — most importantly the white blood cells. White blood cells are important for fighting off disease. If a way to help patients recover from cancer treatments helped the patient regain a natural count of white blood cells, their recovery can be a less worrisome experience.

Umbilical cord blood is especially useful for patients who are in need of a quick blood transplant. Cord blood units are stored ready-to-use as soon as they are unfrozen. It can mean the difference between life and death for the hard to find a donor match patient. As mentioned earlier, cord blood does not require a close or “perfect” match like bone marrow stem cells do. This is important with the number of transplants needed today throughout the world. In addition to traditional transplant therapy, cord blood stem cells are also currently being evaluated in regenerative medicine to repair, regenerate or replace damaged cells and tissues. Regenerative medicine may have the potential to treat diseases that affect millions of Americans.

Out of the different transplants, cord blood transplants are used more widely in children than in adults. The main reason for this, is because the umbilical cord blood holds only so much blood and the amount of blood-forming cells needs to match the size of the patient they are being transplanted into. Some cord blood units might not have enough stem cells for some of the patients who are much larger than a child. Even some larger bodied children, like teens, have more mass than a small bodied child of less than 10 years of age.

Doctors are currently studying ways to enable them to transplant cord blood to larger patients, like being able to give two cord blood units instead of one or finding a way to grow the number of cells in the cord blood unit in the laboratory before transplanting it to the patient. Since cord blood cells constantly divide, this is a possibility that is hoped to become a reality in the future.

Cord blood banking is the collection and storage of stem cells taken from the blood of the umbilical cord after the birth of a child. The process requires a special kit that expecting parents can order from the cord-blood bank of their choice. The kit will include everything the doctors or midwives need to collect the cord blood successfully. The procedure is performed shortly after the baby’s birth in both vaginal and c-section deliveries. Some hospitals perform the collection of cord blood, so a parent who chooses to use a private bank should inform their doctor or attending staff.

In a vaginal delivery, the umbilical cord is clamped off on both sides before the doctors remove it. Generally, the cord blood is collected by the doctor or experienced nurse before the placenta is delivered. After the umbilical cord is removed, one side is unclamped, and a small tube is placed into the vein of the umbilical cord to collect the stem cell rich blood. Next, the placenta is liberated and needles are inserted into the large blood vessels that have fed the fetus during growth.In a c-section birth, collecting the cord-blood is more difficult because the doctor’s main focus is the mother. Only after the infant has been delivered and the mother has been stitched up can the cord blood be collected safely. Due to the delay, there is normally less cord blood than the amount collected from vaginal births. It is extremely important to gather as much cord blood as possible — more cord blood equals more stem cells. The more stem cells you have improves the chances of a successful transplant if the need should ever arise.

After the cord blood has been collected, the blood is stored in bags or syringes. A quick call to the cord-blood bank , then a courier comes and whisks the blood back to the bank. The bank then tags it with an identifying number. Then the facility performs a procedure to separate the stem cells from the rest of the blood. The technicians use liquid nitrogen to freeze the sample and promptly store it. The stem cells can then be thawed in the future if needed and used for blood transplants for the donor. Privately-stored cord blood stem cells are available for use by that child or a genetically-matched family member.

The big day has arrived, your contractions are minutes apart, and you’re on your way to the hospital. The idea of finally getting to hold your perfect baby in your arms helps you through the contractions. Already your mind is dancing with visions of your baby’s future — first smile, first tooth, first word, first step, holidays, and sporting events. The furthest thoughts from your mind are the first illness or, should the unspeakable happen, your child ever became seriously ill.

No parent wants to think their child might get sick someday but it is wise to consider the possibility. There is a decision available when your baby is born that could greatly influence his future health. It’s the decision to bank your infant’s cord blood. So much media attention has been brought to cord blood banking and it has become an issue for many parents.

What if your child needs transfusions? Bone marrow donations? Is there anyone in the family who can closely match your child in blood type? These are all questions that come to mind when a child falls ill, seriously ill. Each one can possibly be answered by researching cord blood banking. Research and education is key to understanding how this medical advance works.

Taking the time to educate yourself on this topic, whether you are a parent, expecting to be a parent, or in the stages of trying to conceive has become a new necessity. Unfortunately, many hospitals do not participate in cord blood donation due to funding constraints. Where cord blood donation is available, not all moms or cord blood units meet criteria for collection and storage in a public bank. However, private cord blood banking is available at any hospital to any person. Private banks provide expectant parents with a cord blood collection kit that contains everything their healthcare provider will need for the collection. Expectant parents should inform their healthcare provider that they are enrolled in private banking and should bring the kit with them to the delivery. Ask your Ob/Gyn if they participate in public cord banking through the hospital you will be giving birth at. If you plan on giving birth at home or in a center, there are still options available for you.

Your OB/Gyn may have materials available to you discussing cord blood banking. Often, the main materials offered are brochures which do not cover all of the information that is available to those who are researching this option. Most brochures only give basic information on cord blood banking, a company name, and phone number. While some of the information provided in these brochures is accurate, it is imperative to do your own research and when making a decision to use a certain company, make sure the company provides the most information with the most up to date science.