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Eligibility Guidelines For Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells

August 10, 2011 By admin

Eligibility Guidelines for Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells

There is absolutely no pain or risk associated with collecting cord blood stem cells. This
procedure takes place immediately after the birth of the baby, and takes only a few minutes. When collecting cord blood stem cells, the medical team will simply clamp the umbilical cord after the removal of the baby, and begin the flow of umbilical cord blood into the collection system.Cord Blood Banking Guidelines

Collecting cord blood stem cells is an uncomplicated procedure as it takes place after
delivery. This is unlike the harvesting of stem cells from bone marrow which requires a
surgical procedure under anesthesia, is painful and invasive, and costly.

There are some eligibility guidelines that have to be met for collecting cord blood stem
cells. The donor must be 18 years or older, in good health and free from several infectious diseases as regulated by the FDA and CDC. For example, it is not recommended that a private bank accept a specimen from a mother who has a history of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B or C, West Nile Virus or Chagas’ Disease. Public banks have additional requirements which include rejection of donations from those who have had tattoos in the past twelve months.

As long as the woman is in good health, and is living in a community where collecting
cord blood stem cells is available, it is possible to donate the baby’s cord blood. Mothers have to choose the participating cord blood bank and consult her doctor for guidance

After collecting cord blood stem cells, the cord blood is sent to the cord blood bank to be
stored for potential future use. It may even be possible to use a privately stored cord blood specimen for another family member. Statistics and research show that there is a 1 in 2 chance that the baby’s cord blood stem cells would be a match for the biological mother and father and a 1 in 4 chance of being a match for biological siblings.

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Introduction To Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells

June 8, 2011 By admin

An Introduction to Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells

The practice of collecting cord blood stem cells as part of the birthing process is a procedure that has been in existence since the year 1988. During that year the first cord blood transplant was done, and since then, more than 8,000 transplants have taken place. Today, thousands of parents are using this once in a lifetime opportunity of collecting cord blood stem cells to be available later for possibly treating health problems.Introduction To Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells

Not until 1995, however was collecting cord blood stem cells made widely available. The cord blood is collected immediately after birth of the baby once the umbilical cord has been cut. The medical caregiver normally collects the specimen.  This blood used to be discarded as medical waste.  The procedure of collecting cord blood stem cells does not in any way alter normal birth-related procedures. The efficiency of collecting a cord blood stem cell sample is dependant on the amount of cord blood that is collected. The larger the stem cell sample amount that is collected, the better its survival rate of cells in transplant. It is possible to choose the collection method for cord blood by either the syringe or gravity blood bag.

So far, more than 25,000 doctors have been collecting cord blood stem cells in more than 3,000 hospitals and birth centers in the US and more than 72 foreign countries. The practice is rapidly increasing and a growing number of doctors and hospitals are using the procedure of collecting cord blood stem cells with advanced training and technological resources.

It is important to note, however, that there is no risk to the child or the mother when collecting cord blood stem cells, as this is done after the baby is born and after the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. This procedure is painless, safe and easy for both mother and baby, and there is no change whatever in the normal delivery process of the baby. The average amount of time required for collecting cord blood stem cells is about 5 minutes.

Once you have decided to collect and store your baby’s cord blood, a cord blood company must be chosen.  The cord blood company will be responsible for providing the cord blood collection kit, assisting you in arranging for delivery of the specimen to their laboratory, processing and testing the cord blood specimen and ultimately cryogenically storing the specimen for your family.

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The benefits of cord blood banking

November 14, 2010 By admin

The benefits of cord blood banking:

The discovery of many uses for cord blood stem cells is a great achievement in medical science.  Cord blood banking is considered a potential life saving process.  Cord blood may be used for treating numerous genetic and blood diseases.Benefits of Cord Blood Banking

Umbilical cord blood has been shown to treat or ameliorate over 40 diseases and disorders including many blood cancers, immune disorders, Lupus, anemia.  Some diseases would not be suitable for the donor themselves but instead would be suitable for a matching recipient.

The field of cord blood research has recently made many new discoveries including successful human clinical trials in the area of Type 1 diabetes, Cerebral Palsy and heart disease.  There are studies continuing in the United States and abroad that include research on Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries and stroke.

In addition, cord blood stem cells have a lower risk of graft versus host disease (rejection issues)  when compared to bone marrow transplants therefore allowing for a greater range of finding a donor/recipient.  Cord blood also provides an option that is more affordable, less painful and less invasive than traditional bone marrow transplants.

Considering the benefits of cord blood banking, many expectant couples are opting to collect and store their family’s cord blood to safeguard their family’s future. Couples who cannot afford to pay for private cord blood storage may want to consider donating their cord blood to a public cord blood bank.

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The Benefits of Stem Cell Preservation

October 13, 2010 By admin

The Benefits of Stem Cell Preservation

Stem cell preservation is a medical breakthrough with immense possibilities for mankind. Expectant mothers, in particular, maybe very interested in collecting cord blood, because this blood may be used in the future to cure life-threatening conditions not only for the baby, but also potentially for its siblings and possibly unrelated recipients. There is absolutely no risk involved for the mother and child during cord blood collection for the stem cell preservation process.Benefits of Stem Cell Preservation

In addition to cord blood stem cells being used to treat over 40 different diseases and disorders ranging from blood cancers to immune disorders, stem cells in general are currently being studied, with great success, in treating a myriad of diseases and disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, heart disease, Type 1 diabetes, Cerebral Palsy, spinal cord injuries and organ regeneration.

Current estimates indicate that approximately 1 in 3 Americans could benefit from regenerative medicine, and children whose cord blood stem cells are available for their own potential use could be among the first to benefit from new therapies as they become available. With autologous (the person’s own) cells, there is no risk of an immune system rejecting the cells, so physicians and researchers are only performing these potential cord blood therapies on children who have their own stem cells available.1

As a result, it can be inferred that stem cell preservation is a form of insurance and security for your future life, which may potentially be used in the future.

1Harris DT, et al. (2007). “The potential of cord blood stem cells for use in regenerative medicine.”. Expert Opin. Biol. Ther. 7 (9): 1311–1322. doi:10.1517/14712598.7.9.1311. PMID 17727322.

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Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells: What You MUST Know

October 7, 2009 By admin

Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells: What You MUST Know

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.Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells Need To Know

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.

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Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells: The Patient’s Experience

October 3, 2009 By admin

Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells: The Patient’s Experience

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.Collecting Cord Blood Stem Cells Patient Experience
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.

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