Every parent dreams great dreams of their newborn child’s life and hopes beyond measure that their child will be healthy and happy. But everyone also knows that children can get sick and dread the day when they might find out there child has a life threatening illness that might shatter their hopes and dreams.
Research started in the 1970s revealed a startling fact that could change the course of a dreaded illness and could save a child’s life…if, and only if the treatment was available. That treatment would be based on information acted upon the day the child was born. The big question is, “Do I possibly save my child’s life sometime down the road by storing the birth cord blood to battle against diseases”? And by answering that question, the Cord Blood Banking programs were born.
The video above and the discussion below reviews some of the cord blood banking pros and cons. Dr. Elizabeth Shpall, Director at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Cord Blood Bank in Houston, TX. Shpall says; “The majority of women delivering babies in the United States still are not aware of this possibility and it is extremely frustrating”. She is definitely on the pro side of this debate.
What does the umbilical cord provide? The umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells which can turn into red and white blood cells and platelets. The red blood cells circulate oxygen throughout the body. The white blood cells help fight infection and platelets prevent bleeding by helping to form blood clots.
The cord blood becomes a valuable resource to treat leukemia, as well as other types of cancer and many immune and genetic disorders.
Jesus, now an adult, was treated for leukemia when he was only 13 years old. His life was saved with donated cord blood and now he says he wants to help others. “I know I want to make a difference in other people’s lives because they have made a difference in mine”. He takes the “Pro” side of the cord blood banking pros and cons debate.
There has been a recent trend to store cord blood for their own family’s emergency use but that is not recommended unless there is an older child that could benefit from the transplantation. This is a “Con” perspective. The chances of someone actually using that blood from the cord for the donor child is stated to be somewhere between 1 in 20,000 up to 1 in 200,000. Storing that blood for an indefinite period of time seems to be the major drawback given the odds. It is expensive to “store your own” but donating the blood is free at the time of birth. There are even blood banks set up to store cord blood for anyone that needs it.
Cord blood banks such as Cord Blood Registry will collect your baby’s cord blood so you don’t have to do it and they’ll have it delivered to their own facility where it will be frozen. They can store it forever as long as you keep paying the annual fee. It will be there in case one of your other children becomes ill with a disease like leukemia or if they are found to have a genetic defect. Cost is definitely a factor to consider when selecting a cord bank.
“Right now, there are fewer than 200 hospitals in the United States designated as collection sites for mothers who want to donate their baby’s cord blood to a public bank,” says Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, professor of pediatrics at Duke and director of the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank, a public bank. “We simply need more. Cord blood cells are increasingly seen as a valuable resource, and we are seeing a pressing need for more cord blood donation, especially among Asian and African-American mothers and those with mixed ethnic backgrounds.”
It is necessary for a coordinator to pre-screen applicants for eligibility to become donors. Cord blood banking pros and cons depend upon the person needing the blood or the person wanting to give the blood.
The donor must answer questions relating to age and any history of HIV, cancer, malaria, organ or tissue transplant, hepatitis, (STDs) sexually transmitted diseases, and tattoos or body piercing(s). This much information may seem too intrusive and therefore be considered a “con” yet the person receiving the blood obviously wants to know that any blood used in his or her body will not cause further harm.
If you choose to participate, expectant mothers are sent a kit prior to their due date. They need to bring the kit to the hospital and alert the admissions desk that they are participating. The doctor or attending physician will collect the cord blood after the baby is born and is then packed and shipped to one of the participating sites. This shipment must be received within 40 hours of the infant’s birth.
So let’s summarize the cord blood banking pros and cons…
Pro’s
- It could save the life of someone you love.
- If you donate it to a blood bank, you can save the life of someone like Jesus mentioned above.
- It is relatively easy to do, especially if you are having a 3rd party take care of it for you.
- Genetic treatments can be used on family members with fairly good results.
Con’s
- It is costly to store the cord blood year after year
- You need to arrange the donation before hand or it normally get’s thrown away which renders the cord and blood useless.
- You need to bring the kit with you and designate where it is going to be stored or if it is being donated to any blood bank.
- For Genetic treatements stem cells are not usually used to treat the donor because they will likely contain the code for the illness they have in the DNA.
To reach the M.D. Anderson coordinator, call 713-563-8000.
To reach the Texas Cord Blood Bank coordinator, dial 800-292-5534; option 7.
