The importance of knowing
the origin of umbilical
cord blood.

Blood matching and origins of the umbilical cord

As with all transfusions it is imperative that the patient's blood be matched with that of the donor; knowing the origin of umbilical cord blood can be vital to help in this key step. The most effective way of ensuring a match for the patient is through the use of his or her own cord blood. Previously the cost of storing cord blood has been astronomically high and so only the privileged few have done so, however, recent advances in technology coupled with an increasing usage for cord blood has seen the number of people currently storing their cord blood for future use increase greatly.

The cost averages out to be around $1000 for the first year, including transport and all other costs as well as the first 12 months storage. After this the price with some organizations will dip slightly. If this still seems too high then you may want to consider public donation. This is entirely free and can usually be carried out in any hospital. Obviously the more people that donate, the greater the chance that patients who require the primitive stem cells found in cord blood will receive them.

The process is a very simple one that will bear no impact on the birth and have no effect on either mother or baby. Once the umbilical cord is clamped and cut then the physician responsible will either hang the umbilical cord to drain the blood into a sterile container or they will use a sterile syringe to extract the blood. It is then quickly transported to the public blood bank and stored for future use. Should your child or children require cord blood in the future there is obviously no guarantee that they will receive their own cord blood but a suitable match will usually be found and the required operation carried out.

Bone marrow transplants have previously been the only form of transplanting stem cells from one person to another but this can often be too lengthy a process for some patients. Less than half the people who require a bone marrow transplant are successful in finding a suitable donor and therefore go without the operation they truly require. In part, this is because bone marrow donation can be painful and the recovery time lengthy for both patients but also because it is usually carried out as and when the marrow is required. If a patient needs a transplant, a matching donor must be found and then the operation can be completed. The donor will be admitted to hospital where they will undergo a fairly painful extraction and it can take several weeks of recovery before they are back on their feet and can return to normal life. None of this is true of cord blood donation.

Matching donors are usually found by looking for people of a similar ethnic and racial background. This means that there is a particular shortage at present for the minority groups and willing donors are always being sought. If you are considering donating cord blood then you could be helping to save someone's life and in turn there will be someone out there willing to do the same for you or your baby should the need arise.

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