Umbilical cord blood banking means collecting and storing the blood from the umbilical cord after your baby is born. This cord blood contains blood-forming stem cells, which can treat a disease that required stem cell transportation such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, severe sickle cell disease, and severe combined immunodeficiency.

To start with storing your baby’s cord blood, you can select either of the two banks- Public banks and private banks. If you choose a public bank, then your child or a family member later requires a stem cell transplant for treatment, then you won’t be able to obtain the donation you made.

However, in a Private bank, off chance, if someday you child or a sick family member need the donated umbilical cord, can use it for treatment.

Why Is Cord Banking Important?

Earlier, the placenta and the umbilical cord were discarded after birth without a second thought. But recently, researchers have found umbilical code blood can supply the same kind of blood-forming stem cells as bone marrow donors. Blood-forming stem cells can develop into the three types of blood cells found in our body-red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Even cord-blood stem cells also have the potential to give rise to other types of cells.

Serious health problems like childhood cancer, blood disease, and immune system disorder require chemotherapy treatments to kill disease cells in the body. Unfortunately, the treatment also kills many good cells, along with the bad ones. Due to this, some kids can benefit from a stem cell transplant from a donor whose cells closely match their own. Doctors transplant blood-forming stem cells from the donor into the child’s body, and those cells make new and healthy blood cells that boost the child’s blood-producing and immune system capability.

How umbilical cord blood banking works?

Umbilical cord blood banking isn’t routine in the hospital or home deliveries. It needs beforehand planning. The collection of the cord blood takes place shortly after birth. It requires a specific kit that parents usually order before the date of delivery. The blood is collected just after the delivery by a nurse or an obstetrician. Doctors cut the umbilical cord and collect blood using a small needle into the umbilical vein.

Storing

After cord blood collection, it is transferred to the cord-blood bank through courier. Medical professionals separate the stem cells from the rest of the blood and store it in cryogenically (frozen in liquid nitrogen). The public bank does charge for storing it; however, private banks do charge some amount.

Transplanting

Donating your baby’s blood cell in a public bank doesn’t have a guarantee that you may use the same one for your other children or relatives. However, private banks do take charge and allow you to use their umbilical cord blood in a transplant. In most cases, transplants are mostly done in children or young adults.

Is umbilical cord banking right for you?

Cord-blood banking is a new medical practice. Many hospitals do not yet offer this service or know about the procedure of how cord-blood banking works.

The parent’s guide to cord blood foundation and The national marrow donor program gives you the full information about umbilical cord blood banking.

Wrapping up

Today, many doctors are supporting to save umbilical cord blood because stem cell research is useful in the future. Although most of us have little use of umbilical cord blood, research shows that using these stem cells helps treat diseases today and in the future.