Benefits of Storing Cord Blood

Umbilical cord blood contains the same kinds of stem cells as those found in bone marrow. These stem cells are hematopoietic, which means they can form multiple types of cells and can renew. They are potentially valuable for any number of medical conditions, including cancer, heart disease and more. By storing a person's cord blood in the right conditions, it can be available at any point in his or her life. This long-term view is expected to be even more important as research continues to boost the potential value of stem cells to treat a variety of cancers, as well as repair heart tissue damaged by heart attacks. Even condition's such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), Parkinson's disease, and nerve injuries, as seen as targets for stem cell repair.

For centuries, a new mother's placenta and the umbilical cord were usually discarded. While they had enormously life-giving properties while the baby was in the womb, their value seemed diminished at the time of birth. But in the 1970s, medical researchers discovered that umbilical cord blood had the same type of stem cells as bone marrow. In 2005, a Toronto doctor, Peter Zandstra, MD, developed a method of increasing the yield of cord blood for the treatment of adults, as well as children. Because the technology is still relatively new, however, the long-term potential for stem cells extracted from cord blood is still being determined.

Clearly the biggest single advantage of storing cord blood is having a supply of stem cells that are already known to be compatible with the person who would need them. This removes the huge, sometimes agonizing obstacle, of trying to find a bone marrow donor match. In addition, if stored cord blood is available, it eliminates the actual donation of bone marrow from a volunteer match, who may experience pain, fatigue and other side effects after the procedure. Banking cord blood also provides a little peace of mind, a little mental insurance policy. Though you never want to imagine anything wrong happening to a newborn, knowing that the baby's cord blood is stored safely in the event of a medical crisis down the road can be very reassuring. There are also public cord blood banks that would make the stem cells available to the general public.

Storing cord blood takes a little pre-birth planning and the help of hospital staff at the time of the birth. You'll need to order a special cord blood kit from the agency that will store the cord blood. This should be done a few weeks or months before the due date. Cord blood can be taken whether the delivery is vaginal or Cesarean. It should be noted, however, that more blood can be taken through a traditional vaginal delivery, usually, than with a c-section. Then there is the cost. Arranging for the collection kit, mailing it to the storage facility, having the blood tested and simply enrolling in a program can cost between $1,500 and $2,000. The annual storage fee is then around $125.

Stem cells are not wonder cures for every ailment, yet. Their use in treating a number of diseases and conditions is still in the experimental stage. However, stem cells are already being used in various cancer treatments and their use is only expected to expand during the next several years. Cord blood storage is not just available to people in big cities. Storage facilities and cord blood banking companies are found all over the world. Talk with your local hospital, one with an obstetrics department, about companies they work with regularly.