The Benefits Of Cord Blood Banking
Cord blood banking is the process of processing cord blood and storing it in order to make it viable for future medical procedures. Cord blood is a type of blood found in the fetal side of the umbilical cord of newborns, and is rich in stem cells, the kind of cells that can turn into any type of cell in the body. Specimens are extracted from the newborn’s umbilical cord a few minutes after birth and they are then processed for blood-borne diseases and for blood type before being stored. In some cases, components of the cord blood are separated from the rest of the specimen before storage.
Cryogenesis is the process done to store the collected cord blood. This usually involves freezing the specimens in a special chamber that is cooled to prevent the cord blood from breaking down. Cord blood specimens stored for 16 years can still be used in stem cell treatments as effectively as newly drawn specimens.
Benefits of Cord Blood Banking
Cord blood banking provides a very good alternative source for stem cells. Stem cells were traditionally harvested from the bone marrow so that they can be used for transplants for treating blood and immune system diseases. The process of collecting stem cells from bone marrow tends to be very invasive and very painful. The collection of cord blood, on the other hand, is not painful and does not pose any risk to both the mother and the baby, since specimens are taken after the umbilical cord is cut from the fetus.
Another advantage of cord blood banking is that it is collected, screened, and processed in advance so that it is ready for use. All routine tests are completed before the specimen is stored, so it is ready to use the moment someone needs a transplant. Confirmatory blood typing and other special blood tests are usually performed within 5 days. Cord blood transplants also do not require a perfect match. Some studies have suggested that at least a partial match is needed for a cord blood specimen to be accepted by the body, as opposed to bone marrow grafts that require 8/8 matching. This increases the chances of finding a suitable donor. In addition, unlike blood specimens, cord blood lasts longer than blood collections. Cord blood can last up to 16 years and still be viable for transplant procedures. The use of cord blood has also been shown to come with a lower incidence of graft versus host disease, a condition that arises when the body starts rejecting the new transplant. This type of transplant has also been shown to have a lower risk of transmission of viral infections.
The process of cord blood banking offers numerous advantages for individuals who are waiting for a transplant to cure their blood and immune diseases. It comes with fewer pain, lesser risk, and tend to be more viable for a longer period compared to stem cell specimens taken from other sources. The many advantages that it has over the traditional way of collecting specimens make cord blood banking a better option for getting the stem cells needed for the treatment of various diseases.