Parents Guide to Cord Blood

Cord blood, the blood that is collected from the umbilical cord following birth, is rich in stem cells, the type of cell that contributes to the development of all of the different tissues in the body. Stem cells are also the building blocks of the immune system and can be used in transplants to treat a number of serious diseases and conditions, including leukemia, carcinomas, congenital immune and autoimmune disorders, myeloma, lymphoma and many more.

The cord blood collection process is painless and does not alter the birth experience in any way. There are two different methods of collection that are used: syringe method or bag method. With the syringe method, a doctor or nurse uses a syringe to draw blood from the umbilical cord after it has been clamped and cut. The bag method involves simply elevating the umbilical cord so that the blood runs down and is collected into a bag. In either case, the syringe or bag is carefully and clearly labeled with the patient's name and, usually, a unique ID number. The blood will be taken quickly, usually by courier, to the storage site. There, the blood is processed. Stem cells are removed from the other blood products and frozen in liquid nitrogen.

The stem cells taken from cord blood are genetically unique to your family and can provide lifesaving treatment to your child, yourself, or another member of your family. There are already numerous applications for stem cell treatments, and research continues to develop new uses and technology every year. In theory, stem cells can be stored indefinitely with proper freezing and retrieval techniques, making them available whenever they are needed. Stem cells from cord blood result in a much higher percentage of successful transplants than do bone marrow. The risk of rejection with bone marrow transplants is extremely high, requiring patients to take strong immuno-supressant medications every day for life.

There are numerous cord blood banks to choose from with different levels of service and pricing plans. The number one consideration before choosing a bank, however, is to make certain that it is accredited specifically for the processing of stem blood cells. The American Association of Blood Banks gives this accreditation only to blood banks that demonstrate quality lab and storage procedures. When you are shopping for a cord blood storage service, find out what the total cost of retrieval, processing and storage will be. There are often separate fees for various services and a yearly fee for storage. Many blood banks offer financing plans, including payment plans or loans to help pay for the initial cost, which averages around $2,000.

Critics of cord blood banking contend that the high cost of these services cannot be justified by the relatively low chance that your child will end up needing a stem cell transplant. However, parents of children who have been treated successfully with stem cells maintain the importance of having these cells available for treatments. The National Marrow Donor Program operates public cord blood banks that accept donations of cord blood from parents who have chosen not to store their child's cord blood privately. The Donor Program maintains a registry that matches donors with cord blood and provides it for transplant free of charge. However, if you choose to donate to a public cord blood bank and a family member needs a transplant at a later date, there is no guarantee that the bank will have a match available.