What Parents Must Know About Cord Blood Processing? If you are new to cord blood stem cell banking, you might have multiple questions in your mind. Knowledge about cord blood is necessary if you are going to be parents as it will help you determine if banking is the right choice for your family. Stem cell banks in India have become much advanced than before. Here are some FAQs answered about cord blood cells and banking.
What are umbilical cord blood stem cells? In human body, umbilical cord blood is one of the richest sources of stem cells. As they are younger, they are less exposed to illness and environmental factors.
What is cord blood banking? Cord blood banking refers to the entire process of collecting, processing, storing and preserving stem cells present in the umbilical cord and placenta, right after the birth of a newborn. There are many private cord blood banks which offer the facility of cord blood banking.
What are the advantages of cord blood banking? Stem cells retrieved from umbilical cord blood is used in stem cell therapy which is capable of treating multiple rare diseases and ailments, including some types of cancers, and blood disease, like sickle cell anemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and so on.
What are the benefits of cord blood stem cells over other sources of stem cells? The major advantage of umbilical cord blood is that it need not have to be precisely matched to the patients, like bone marrow transplants. Most stem cells in cord blood are blood-forming stem cells which are known as HSC or hematopoietic stem cells. HSC enables cord blood transplants to be used as a better alternative than bone marrow transplants. Cord blood is also used as regenerative medicine due to the presence of additional types of stem cells.
How is cord blood collected? It only takes a few minutes to collect cord blood. Once you get enrolled in a cord blood bank, you receive a collection kit. Right after the birth of the baby, the umbilical cord is clamped and inserted with a needle in the vein. The blood present in the umbilical cord is withdrawn and is dispatched to the cord blood bank. The collected blood is then tested for any infection. After this, it goes for processing where the maximum number of stem cell present in the cord blood is retrieved. It is then stored and preserved and used in case either donor or donor’s family member needs it. Hope these answers will help you make the right decision for your baby.