Research shows that the blood that comes from a baby’s umbical cord is a rich source of stem cells.   Stem cells have the ability to differentiate into other tissues and blood vessels and can be used to treat a variety of diseases.   Up until recently stem cells came from bone marrow, but because these were usually matured stem cells they had an increase chance of being rejected.   Stem cells that are found in the umbical cord are still immature and haven’t learned to attack any foreign substances which makes them less likely to be rejected.  
 
Research is being done that shows cord blood, and the stem cells found in this blood, could be used in the future to treat people with diabetes, heart failure, stroke and even some neurological disorders.   Keep in mind that the use of stem cells is still being researched and tested thoroughly and according to researchers we are still in the early stages of understanding the full potential of stem cells.  
 
Other benefits of stem cells is their ability to go through numerous cycles of cell division and the capacity to differentiate into specialized cell types. By doing this, using stem cells is the best option for replacing cells that have been damaged by diseases such as cancer.    They are also the basis for the embryo when it first develops and are present in the umbical cord and placenta.  This is why so many companies have been offering new parents not just the opportunity to donate their baby’s cord blood which is full of stem cells, but to store their baby’s cord blood privately for use of the child only or for an immediate family member.

Even though stem cell research has been a huge debate in the medical world, there is no denying all the potential benefits they offer.   There have been numerous amounts of stem cell transplants that were successful and gave people a second chance at life.

When my husband and I found out we were expecting our second child this Thanksgiving, the first thing we did was jump online and sign up on all the baby sites for free baby things.   Pretty soon our mail box was being filled with all sorts of coupons and advertisements, among them, companies offering to bank our baby’s cord blood. 
 
Cord blood, for those who may not know, is the blood that remains in the umbical cord and the placenta following birth.   We all know that the placenta and umbical cord play an extremely important role during pregnancy.  It is the life line for our babies.  After delivery the blood in the umbical cord could save not only your baby’s life if need be, but others too.   The reason is because of the extensive amount of stem cells found in the blood that can be used in the fight against leukemia, lymphoma, and other life-threatening diseases.    Usually, these cells work best when they are used in the patients own body but you do not have to store cord blood just for your baby.  There are many options.
 
First, you can store the blood in a private family cord blood bank.  This is where the blood is collected and stored should your child or matching family member ever need it.  While it gives some parent’s peace of mind that there is some form of treatment available should something ever happen to their children, there is a cost.  First, some companies charge anywhere in the vicinity of $1700 just to collect the blood.  Second, the blood is stored long term using cyopreservation and there is usually a yearly fee for storage.   Some companies offer payment plans to help out. 

You can also donate to a public bank.   Donating your baby’s cord blood is not going to cost you anything, and you could be saving someone’s life.   In order to do this, find out if your hospital collects the umbilical cord blood donations and work with them to find out if you are eligible to donate.  In order to be eligible to donate you must be at least 18 years of age, HIV negative and have no risk to HIV or AIDS.  You also must be cancer free and not a diabetic.  If you were diagnosed with gestational diabetes during your pregnancy you should still be able to donate, but if you had any tattoo or piercing with in the last 12 months you are not eligible.

Most cord blood banking companies state that your baby’s cord blood will be stored in a state of the art cryoprservation center.  This is the number one choice of most cord blood storage banks.  It is the method that protects and preserves your baby’s stem cells should they ever be needed.    Some of you might be wondering what cryopreservation really is.   It is the process where cells are preserved by cooling them to low sub-zero temperatures.  This temperature is typically 77K or -196 degrees C.   At these low temperatures there is no biological activity.   In fact, the biochemical reactions that cause cell death are stopped ensuring that the cells are still of good quality when the time comes for them to be used.
 
There are some risks though during cryoprservation.  The solution that is used during cryopreservation can sometimes cause damage to cells.  Solutions that have a high salt concentration can be very damaging to stem cells.   Other factors that can cause damage to cells are extracellular ice formation or ice forming on the outside of the cell.  When tissues are cooled, water will sometime seep out of the cells and ice form in its place.   Too much of this ice can cause mechanical damage due to crushing.   You also have to think about dehydration.   The migration of the water that seeps out of the cells and causes extracellular ice formation is also the cause of cellular dehydration.   The cells are losing water, and the stress that is caused on the cell is often damaging.     You have to consider ice forming on the inside of cells also.  While some tissues can tolerate some extracellular ice, intracellular ice is always fatal to cells. 

So how can cord blood banks prevent this when storing your baby’s cord blood?  One way to prevent it is through vitrification.  This provides the benefits of cryopreservation without any damage due to ice crystals.  How vitrification works is with the addition of cryoprotectants.  These cryoprotentants act like antifreeze and lower the freezing temperature.  In artificial cryopreservation, the solute must penetrate the membrane of the cell in order to achieve increased viscosity and slow down the freezing temperature inside the cells. 

Cryopreservation has also been used in preserving embryos for couples who have used IVF or invitro fertilization and it works the same way as it does for storing cord blood.   Knowing just how they will keep your baby’s blood will aid you in making the decision that is right for you.

Whether you have decided to store your baby’s cord blood at a private storage bank or whether you have decided to donate your newborn’s cord blood, there are some steps you need to take before your bundle of joy is due.   Researching private blood storage banks and finding out if your hospital participates in any donor programs should be added to an expectant parent’s to do list before the 30th week. 
 
Whether you are storing or donating, you must make sure to receive the cord blood collection kit from the chosen cord blood bank.  If you are storing your newborn’s blood privately, you will be charged for this service.  If you are donating your baby’s blood, some hospitals might already keep a cord blood collection kit on hand, so may not have to bring one with you to your delivery.  

With a normal vaginal delivery, the cord blood is collected before the placenta is delivered.   The umbilical cord is clamped on both sides and then an experienced obstetrician or a nurse will unclamp one side of the umbilical cord and insert either a small tube or a small needle into the umbilical vein to collect the blood.  Other times, the blood is dripped into either a vial or a special collection bag.   After this is collected, a needle could also be placed into the placenta to collect more blood and cells.  These cells will be in their own containers and properly identified. 

During a cesarean or C-section birth, the collection process is a little more complicated but still causes no pain to the mother or to the baby.   During C-sections, a doctor’s main focus is the mother and baby.  After all, this is a major surgery and there are a number of complications that can arise.   It is only after the baby has been safely delivered, along with the placenta and the mother’s uterus has been sutured that the cord blood can be collected.   Usually though less blood is collected when the baby is delivered via C-section.   That can sometimes be a problem, because less blood collected also means fewer stem cells collected and stored.   Some doctors feel that there is too big of a risk of contamination by collecting cord blood after a C-section, but for the most part most public and private cord storage banks have taken the proper steps to reduce the risk of contamination by providing sterile kit components.

Ask any new parent who has stored cord blood and they will be able to tell you all about storing their newborn’s umbilical cord blood for use in the future.  What happens though for people who do not have children or whose children were born before this potential life saving alternative was first offered?   There are storage banks that offer to preserve adult stem cells as well as umbical cord stem cells.
  
 
Stem cells are classified by four types of cells.  First, embryonic stem cells are from a human embryo.  Second, fetal stem which can be taken from aborted fetal tissue.   Use of both of these stem cells is very controversial, especially the embryonic stem cells.  Studies are constantly under way to see if this use is safe for the embryo.   The two more common and less riskier stem cells are third, umbilical stem cells, which are taken from the umbilical cord and the placenta, and, fourth, adult stem cells which come from bone marrow, adult peripheral blood and other body tissues. 
 

So what are adult stem cells?  In theory all stem cells except those that come from embryos are adult stem cells.  This includes the cells found in the umbilical cord and placenta.  The difference between stem cells that come from adult peripheral blood and bone marrow vs. umbilical cord and placenta stem cells is that the latter of the two come from newborns.
 

So how are adult stem cells collected?  Most people know that stem cells come from bone marrow but most companies who collect and preserve adult stem cells take them from adult peripheral blood.  This collection procedure is no different than taking blood for a blood test.  In the past, a process called aphaeresis procedure was used.  This process required the artificial stimulation of stem cell production by the donor’s bone marrow by employing injections of growth stimulating hormones several days prior to the collection. This method can be very costly and have some very unpleasant side effect for some donors.  

As with umbilical cord stem cells, the preservation of adult stem cells also has a cost running around $1600 or more, and in addition, there is an annual storage fee.   What the initial price generally does include is the enrollment fee, cord blood collection kit, specimen collection, express shipping, processing, testing and cryopreservation.  The storage of the cells will cost around $125 or more and as with the major cord blood banks there are payment plans available.  

By storing adult stem cells, everyone now has an opportunity to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Stem cells are precursor cells that can differentiate into mature and specialized adult cells of different types. Stem cells are very helpful in the treatment of various diseases of blood and immune system origin, including many cancers.

Adult stem cells can be obtained from bone marrow and from the cord blood (blood in the umbilical cord at the time of delivery of the child) and the placenta (sac that holds the baby during pregnancy). The obtained cord blood and the placenta is then processed and preserved in liquid nitrogen to be used if the need arises at any point of time. The stored stem cells remain viable once preserved, for over 20 years.

Collecting the cord blood stem cells for preservation has to be planned well in advance before the delivery of the child. A stem cell bank is identified that is close to the place where the delivery is supposed to happen (unless courier service is arranged). Once such a bank has been found and all the initial formalities are completed, the cord blood bank must be contacted close to the time of the delivery (around 48 hours before) when blood from the mother is drawn and sent to test for any communicable diseases that may be present.

Collecting the cord blood stem cells is performed by the doctors delivering of the child. It is important to collect a sufficient amount of cord blood (around 75 ml at least) for it to contain an adequate amount of stem cells for preservation. The procedure of collecting the cord blood stem cells is conducted when the umbilical vein is still pulsating.

A special collection bag designed for the purpose of collecting the cord blood stem cells is used for this purpose. This bag has a connected needle at one end that is inserted into the umbilical vein, and the bag is lowered down to allow the cord blood to flow into the bag. This is held in place until enough blood has been collected in the bag. If the blood flow stops before adequate collection is complete, the needle is removed and re-inserted to resume the blood flow until the cord is totally devoid of any more blood after which the needle is removed.

Once the collection of the cord blood stem cells and the placenta is completed, the specialized containers are then transported in exact temperature conditions suited for this purpose to the cell bank where they are disinfected, processed, preservative added and then slowly cooled to reach a temperature of -190 degrees Celsius at which it is stored.

Collecting the cord blood stem cells is a very simple procedure that takes just around 2-5 minutes, but it is very important for the professional handling the cord blood to take care that they don’t contaminate the specimen as it may affect the viability and storage of the stem cells.

Many expectant mothers wish to donate their baby’s cord blood, but many are turned away due to strict qualifying regulations, underfunded facilities and lack of planning. Mothers who wish to donate their baby’s cord blood, should become familiar with the procedure used in collecting cord blood stem cells and begin making preparations today.
Public cord blood banks are severely underfunded and lack resources to store all of the cord blood that mothers try to donate each year. In fact, a mere 30% of mothers who wish to donate actually make it through the registration process and are able to make a donation. This is why most public cord blood banks urge mothers to make their interest to donate known before the 34th week of pregnancy. This allows plenty of time for the registration process and for plans to be put in place that will allow for a smooth donation process.
The first step needed if you wish to donate is to make sure that the hospital used for the birth is a participating hospital for collecting cord blood stem cells. If the hospital participates, you will need to talk with the obstetrician about setting up a donation. If your hospital is not familiar with collecting cord blood stem cells you can ask them if they are willing to work with a public cord blood bank. If so, the bank will walk them through all of the procedures that they need to know, but it will be up to you to find the bank and make the necessary connections.
Once you decide to donate, you will need to complete several registrations forms before the collection can occur. Keep in mind that there are many regulations when it comes to collecting cord blood stem cells and you may be turned down due to medical history or other factors.
After you have been approved for donation, a collection kit will be sent to you or the hospital where you will give birth. This collection kit must be used when collecting cord blood stem cells, and all instructions must be followed. If you are responsible for the kit, make sure that it is packed in your delivery bag or that a close family member is in charge of it. Remember: collection must occur within 15 minutes of the birth so it is vital that all mechanisms be in place before you go into the delivery room.
Collecting cord blood stem cells occurs after the umbilical cord is clamped so there is no pain experienced by the mother or the baby during the process. If you cannot find a public bank that is willing or able to accept your donation, you may opt to use a private bank. Most private banks charge $1,800 as a base fee and $100 – $125 per year for storage.

Stem cells are called progenitor cells i.e. cells whose division and differentiation help in formation of the mature adult cells. A broad classification includes stem cells of embryonic and adult types. Embryonic stem cells, as the name suggests, are present in a growing embryo; whereas adult stem cells are found in the bone marrow. Adult stem cells can also be found in the placenta and the blood found in the umbilical cord at the time of child birth.

As stem cell use has been successful in treating conditions including many cancers that were considered untreatable by other methods, there are scientific attempts to retain the stem cells viable for use in therapy.

Stem cells can be derived from the bone marrow but it has limited use because these stem cells are usually affected by the disorder from which the person is suffering. The alternative of obtaining the placenta and collecting cord blood stem cells can be done only when the child is born so many parents are resorting to preservation of stem cells at blood banks to facilitate future use if necessary.

Once the cord blood bank is identified and all initial procedures and paperwork is complete, the cord blood bank ships the client a cord blood collection kit, which the client brings with them at the time of delivery.  Drawing of the mother’s blood prior to the delivery and collection of the cord blood stem cells is done by the team performing the delivery of the child.

The entire process of collecting the cord blood stem cells and placenta is very simple and takes just 5 minutes. This process involves obtaining the cord blood through a vein in the umbilical cord called the umbilical vein.

Cord blood banks have specialized kits prepared for collecting the cord blood stem cells and the placenta. The bag for collecting the cord blood is connected through a needle inserted into the umbilical vein. As the bag is lowered, gravity allows the flow of blood into the bag. A minimum of around 75ml of cord blood is necessary for obtaining good quantity of active stem cells that can be used. If blood flow into the bag arrests before the entire umbilical cord is emptied or before a minimal quantity is obtained, the needle is removed and reinserted into the umbilical vein to obtain the desired quantity.

It is important to take precautions in avoiding contamination of the collected blood. After collecting the cord blood stem cells and the placenta, the medical staff uses specialized containers to transport the cord blood to the cord blood bank where it is again disinfected, processed and after addition of a cryopreservative, cooled slowly to reach a temperature of around -190 degrees, and be stored until such time as it is needed for any therapy, either for the child or for any other family members suffering from a disorder that can be treated with the collected stem cells.

The joy of parenthood can never be equaled. That’s why parents go the distance to give their children better lives, excellent education and most importantly, enhanced security in terms of health.

Cord Blood Banking can provide that security. It gives parents that sense of protection and peace of mind that somehow, in cases when cord blood is needed to save the life of their children or even their own, it is readily available.

Cord blood is the blood in the umbilical cord, which at present, is being preserved cryogenically from birth, when authorized by parents of a newly born child. It contains stem cells, which can be used for transplantation similar to a bone marrow transplant.

Stem cells are sometimes referred to as the chief cells because they are the ones responsible for creating new tissues and in the organs of a human body.

The stem cells found in cord blood, known as haemopoietic stem cells (HSC) are the foundation of human blood, which contains the immune system of the body. These stem cells naturally replicate into:
 
• red blood cells
• white blood cells
• platelets

The human body generates these specialized cells through the stem cells and balances them according to a person’s body needs. In some cases of abnormality, one of these cells may be too much or too little for a body to function effectively. That is why there is a need for blood transfusion in certain diseases or in severe accidents because the human body cannot naturally generate the needed cells.

Stem cells can also be found in bone marrow and in the peripheral blood — the blood circulating inside an adult human. These stem cells’ ability to generate or differentiate into the needed cells is not as efficient as the ability of the stem cells found in the cord blood.

This is the reason why cord blood banking came into existence. Before the establishment of cord blood banks, the umbilical cord and the placenta of a newly born were just discarded.

Cord blood banking attracted attention in the late 80’s, when in 1988, the stem cells found in cord blood, saved a boy’s life through stem cell transplantation. At present, nearly 10,000 stem cell transplantations have been done in the US alone.

Although a reported 2% of transplantations fail, statistics show that 98% succeed.  Failures often are attributed to the condition of GVHD (Graft vs. Host Disease) whereby the introduced stem cells are “rejected” by the host body.

Moreover, proteins found in the human body known, as Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) can also cause such failure. HLA determine the compatibility of donor’s tissue with that of the patient. However, these are rare cases.

Thus, cord blood banking facilitates for the convenience of having a ready supply of cord blood. Whether it is a public, private non-profit or a commercial cord blood bank, they all have the same goal, to provide a steady supply of cord blood to people who are in dire need of this precious discovery of humankind.

As the number of people, especially parents are now aware how valuable cord blood is, the cost and expenses that they may entail for its storage in a cord blood bank is so small a price to pay for the opportunity of saving the life of a loved one.

Cord blood is a main source of stem cells. Bone marrow is also a good source of stem cells and bone marrow transplants have become increasingly useful for treatment in stem cell related problems. 

Cord blood is blood that is in the umbilical cord after the baby is born and it contains stem cells used to save people’s lives. The umbilical cord blood is processed and stored in a cord blood bank for any future transplant of stem cells.

The cord blood is tested first before being cryopreserved at the cord blood bank. It has to meet specific requirements of the blood bank to be acceptable. If the umbilical cord blood meets the eligibility requirements, it is then stored in a special bag and cryopreserved at the the cord blood bank.

Cord blood banks can provide public storage or private storage. The public cord blood banks use their stored cord blood to donate to hospitals and doctors. Donors are matched with cord blood according to the medical history of the family.

Extracting the cord blood from the umbilical cord is not painful to either the mother or the baby. The cord blood is taken after the umbilical cord is cut, and it is important to use this valuable tissue rather than throw it away. This same cord blood helps cure deadly diseases like cancer, leukemia, brain tumors, plasma cell disorders, renal cell carcinoma, phagocyte disorders, histiocytic disorders, congenital immune system disorders and other stem cell disorders.

Saving the cord blood from the baby’s umbilical cord can also help to save your own family because no one knows what will happen in the future. The umbilical cord blood is a perfect match to your baby and up to twenty five percent for all siblings.

If your plan is to keep the cord blood for your child, you must research the requirements of what is needed to privately bank your stem cells. You also need to know how the cord blood is stored. Make sure that the blood bank is associated with the American Association of Blood Banks. Checking on the financial outlook of the blood bank you select is also important as this says a lot about whether your cord blood will be safe or not.