Factors associated with
cord blood banking.

Cord blood banking for donation.

Parents can opt for cord blood banking when their child is born, but there are a number of different factors to consider before doing so. For many parents the advantages far outweigh the few disadvantages but in order to make an informed decision you should be in possession of all the facts. If you do want to store your child's cord blood for his or her use in the future then you will need to find a private cord blood bank and pay them/ This can work out to be a reasonable amount of money especially because the number of facilities available that offer this service is restricted.

As well as storing cord blood for your own child to use you can also donate it to a public cord blood bank. Obviously, the more people that do this the greater the likelihood of finding an appropriate transplant 'donor' should the need arise. There is a list of bone marrow donors for people who do require a stem cell transplant but still half of these patients end up with no matching donor or a suitable donor being found too late. Cord blood banking will greatly increase a patient's chance of success in finding the stem cells they require.

Adult stem cells, what are they?

Adult stem cells are described as being the building blocks of our bodies. They can grow into one of many different vital cells that our body needs to survive. Without the appropriate stem cells, or with damaged stem cells people face a very real risk of becoming ill with blood related disorders and many other potentially fatal ailments. These diseases can often only be treated through the effective transplant of stem cells and this is why it can be vital to a person's survival that they receive a transplant of either bone marrow or using cord blood.

The controversy of extracting embryonic stem cells.

As well as cord blood, embryos provide a very good source of stem cells in their most pure form. However, there has been great debate as to whether this can cause harm to the baby and to the mother and any discussion involving the pro con of embryo stem cells is invariably a heated one with morality always being an issue. However, animal testing with embryonic stem cells has provided irrefutable evidence that they are rich in stem cells and an excellent way to produce the stem cells that a child might require in the future.

The methods of cord blood collection.

There are basically two methods of collecting blood from the umbilical cord. Soon after the umbilical cord is cut a syringe can be used to draw the blood from the umbilical cord. This basically works in the same way as drawing blood from any person for the purposes of a blood test. The other method is to elevate the umbilical cord and allow the blood to flow down into a bag. Both methods are equally successful and the method chosen will usually depend on the physician and institution involved.

What is the cost associated with cord blood banking?

The cost of cord blood banking is the factor that puts most parents off the procedure. There are two sections to the payment, and initially you will need to make a one off payment of approximately $1000 to $200. This initial storage fee will depend on the period of time it allows for. Once the initial storage time is up it usually costs around $100 a year to keep the cord blood in storage.

How long can cord blood be stored?

Tests have shown that cord blood can be stored and used effectively for 15 years but advances in cryogenic freezing would suggest that this figure will be greatly improved. Because the first transplant using cord blood was only successfully completed in 1988 this means that it is quite possible that stored blood already has a longer shelf life than the originally tested 15 years. Technologies, especially in the medical world, move quickly and it is likely that it won't be long before cord blood can be effectively stored for many decades and still provide the blood stem cells required in a healthy condition.

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