What is cord blood banking?
Cord blood banking is when your baby's umbilical cord blood is collected and stored after delivery. Cord blood is what's left inside your baby's umbilical cord after it's cut. Your baby's umbilical cord is clamped and cut shortly after birth. The umbilical cord connects your baby to the placenta. The placenta grows in your uterus and supplies the developing fetus with food and oxygen.
Umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells. Stem cells are valuable because they help treat many life-threatening diseases. For most healthy people, making stem cells isn't a problem. Unfortunately, some people don't make enough healthy stem cells due to a severe medical condition or disease. The stem cells from cord blood can be lifesaving for these people. Cord blood banks exist to collect and store these stem cells. Healthcare providers use cord blood stem cells for transplants in sick people or for medical research.
Cord blood banking is entirely optional. Some people choose to collect and store their baby's cord blood, and others do not. If you do not donate or store your baby's cord blood, it's thrown away with the placenta. Your healthcare provider typically provides information about cord blood banking during a prenatal visit.
What is cord blood?
Cord blood is the blood left inside your baby's umbilical cord after delivery. It's similar to regular blood and contains red and white blood cells, platelets and plasma. It also contains a special type of stem cell found in bone marrow that can help strengthen the immune system. These cells are unique because they can mature or grow into different types of blood cells. Their ability to morph into other cells makes them valuable.
Stem cells help treat several diseases like leukemia, genetic disorders, diseases of the immune system and much more. Researchers have found cord blood is effective in treating up to 80 diseases.
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What is cord blood banking used for?
Cord blood contains potentially lifesaving stem cells. People who need stem cell transplants benefit from your baby's cord blood. Once stem cells are transplanted into those individuals, they help make new, healthy cells. Stem cell transplants help people with:
- Cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.
- Bone marrow diseases requiring a transplant.
- Anemia like sickle cell disease.
- Certain immune system disorders.
Researchers are studying cord blood to see how it can help treat other life-threatening conditions like Parkinson's disease and diabetes.
How do they find a match for stem cells from cord blood?
Cord blood banks analyze and process the cord blood it receives. Everyone's blood and cells can be assigned characteristics. For stem cells to treat a disease, the characteristics from donated stem cells and the person receiving the stem cells needs to match. A match means these characteristics are similar. When a match is made, donated stem cells can help a sick person's immune system fight diseases.
If you decide to bank cord blood, the blood is processed and tested. It's then categorized so that the cord blood bank can find the best match when a sick person needs it.
What are the types of umbilical cord blood banking I can do?
There are two types of cord blood banks: public cord blood banks and private (or family) cord blood banks. They are different in a few ways.
Public cord blood banking
Think of public cord blood banks as large donation centers. You are giving away your baby's cord blood so it can be used to help save a stranger's life. Most healthcare providers encourage you to donate your cord blood to a public bank because it helps others at no risk to you. Thousands of people seek stem cell donations each year. The stem cells in public banks can be used by anyone who matches.
Some details about public cord blood banks include:
- It's free if your hospital is trained to collect cord blood and works with a public cord blood bank.
- The cord blood is donated to someone who needs it or for medical research.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates all public cord blood banks to ensure it's collected and stored according to certain safety standards.
- It's anonymous. No one knows the cord blood is from your baby.
- There are eligibility requirements, so not everyone can donate.
Private cord blood banking
You can store your baby's cord blood in a private blood bank. This ensures that only your family can use it. Private blood banks are helpful for families with a history of health conditions that can be treated with stem cells. It's also beneficial if you have a family member currently needing a stem cell transplant.
Other details about public cord blood banks include:
- You’ll pay an initial collection fee and then annual storage fees. Initial collection fees can cost thousands of dollars. Annual storage fees can cost several hundred dollars.
- You own your cord blood. Only your family can use it.
- The chances of needing to use cord blood are very low. In fact, your child usually can't use their own cord blood.
- The FDA doesn't regulate private cord blood banks.
Some people think private storage offers them protection for if their baby were to get sick. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case. The chances that your child can use their own cord blood is quite low. Most healthcare providers only encourage storing your baby's cord blood with a private bank if a sibling with a congenital condition could benefit from stem cells. Because your chances of ever needing this cord blood are small, most privately banked cord blood gets thrown away.
