If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, you may want to consider cord blood donation. This is a simple procedure that consists of banking cord blood for future use. You may opt to store the umbilical cord blood in a private cord blood bank for your own personal use or you can have it placed in a public cord blood bank so that it may benefit others.
The benefits of placing it in a private bank is that it may be used for a sibling that has fallen ill with leukemia and other forms of blood disorders or cancer. You need to be aware that if you choose to bank your umbilical cord blood donations privately, it will cost you an initial banking fee and an annual fee for as long as the cord blood is stored.
If you choose to bank it for public use, there are no out of pocket banking fees. Cord blood banked for public use can benefit those that are in desperate need of bone marrow transplants who can't find an exact match. In reality, cord blood transplants do not require a perfect match between the cord blood donor and the recipient.
What is so fantastic about cord blood is it contains stem cells that can grow into many different types of blood cells (and quite possibly give rise to other cell types in the body). Researchers have been successful in growing new cells from cord blood stem cells. These new cells have been able to help treat children who need a bone marrow transplant and other diseases. This is just the beginning of the great things that they are finding out about cord blood stem cells. But how is cord blood collected and is it dangerous to the baby or mother?
The cord blood is collected after the birth of the baby. The only risk to the baby (and it is a minor risk) is if the umbilical cord is clamped or cut too soon. This can lead to anemia in the baby.
Once the cord blood unit is collected, it is sent to a cord blood bank where it is tested to make sure there are no signs of infections or other medical problems. It is also tested to see if it contains enough cells for a transplant. If there are not enough cells, the cord blood may be used for research. Either way, cord blood donations can be very beneficial. The tissue is typed and listed on the NMDP registry. This is kept private and the donor's name is never made public. It is then frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored.
Banking cord blood for your own private use is recommended only in cases where there is a family history of cancer or other forms of blood disorders. The cord blood is not able to help the child that is the donor, but it can help another family member. If you do make the decision to bank cord blood for private use, make sure that the blood bank that you use is accredited by a reputable regulatory agency. A good agency would be the American Association of Blood Banks. It is important that you ask for a copy of the bank's policies and procedures. Make sure that the bank you chose has successfully stored many samples and have used them in transplants.
If you decide to bank the cord blood for public use, the problem you may run into is finding a place that is able to harvest and store the cord blood. Unfortunately, it is not a widely accepted practice yet, so your choices may be limited. Do some research and find facilities that are able to collect cord blood. If there is one in your area, contact that facility and let them know you are interested in donating your cord blood. They will guide in the steps that you need to take.
Making a decision to donate cord blood is one that should be made after a lot of careful consideration. This decision should be made as a family. Talk to your doctor or midwife about cord blood donation. As research advances on umbilical cord blood, the possibilities of curing diseases that were once thought incurable are on the horizon. Cord blood donations can help make it possible. You can make a difference by donating your cord blood. Just think, saving the life of just one child can make it worthwhile.
