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Modern medicine never ceases to amaze, especially when you look back on how far medicinehas come since man first discovered how plants found in nature have curative properties.Since then, we have been able to eradicate certain diseases, and we continue to come upwith effective treatments for diseases that used to be death sentences.One of the most recent innovations that show great promise in treating incurable diseases isstem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy is a treatment that makes use of stem cells, which arecells that have the potential to develop into many cell types in the body. They are used togenerate cells and tissues for transplantation, to treat conditions such as cancer, andneurocognitive disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.The ultimate aim is to supplycells to the body to replenish or repair damaged or diseased organs.As a matter of fact, the International Journal of Scientific Research and Innovative Technologyhas listed some examples of conditions that can be treatedwith stem cell transplants:
It may sound like something from a science fiction movie set in the distant future, but it actually started to gain traction in the mid-20th century. In the late 1950s, a form of stem cell treatment, known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, became widely used for blood and immune disorders such as leukemia and lymphoma.
There is continued research for this type of therapy, with promising results. Use of stem cells has even proven to be effective in replacing cells damaged by spinal cord injuries, or even heart attacks.
Where does the umbilical cord blood come in? Stem cells generate in all aspects of human development, from embryo to adulthood. The catch is that as we age, its versatility to be used to replenish or repair cells decreases. Thus, compared to stem cells collected from the blood of an adult, blood collected from the umbilical cord at birth has an increased count of both mature and immature red blood cells, as well as immature white blood cells. This means it has the capacity to form into new blood cells, which is why the cord blood collected from the newborn infants is used as an alternative to bone marrow in transplantations and to restore immunological dysfunctions (Waller-Wise, 2011).
Given its therapeutic benefits, cord blood banking should be a part of the modern expecting parents’ birth plan. This is especially true if you choose to give birth in the hospital. However, because the umbilical cord has always been a biomedical waste until the regenerative effects of cord blood were discovered, and also because it is still a relatively novel form of treatment that still invites some skepticism, only a minority of women get the privilege of discussing the benefits of collecting and storing cord blood as part of their prenatal education and counselling. Even then, your healthcare provider should have sufficient knowledge about cord blood banking. It is a relatively simple and straightforward procedure, however, there still a huge risk of misinformation if not thoroughly discussed with your OB-GYN. In order to maintain the ethics and ideally optimum quality of the blood collected, however, mothers generally need to meet the following criteria in order to be considered eligible:
Absence of active labour (consent is obtained prior to the onset of active labour)
Intact membranes
Term singleton pregnancy
No history of viral, congenital, or genetic diseases
Ability of the mother to understand the implications of cord blood collection
(Source: Armson, B. A., Allan, D. S., & Casper, R. F. (2015). Umbilical Cord Blood: Counselling, Collection, and Banking. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 37(9), 832-844)
Once these conditions are met, cord blood is collected immediately after delivery, as soon as the umbilical cord is clamped. At least 60 mL of blood is collected, and labelled for blood typing before storage.
There are two main options of cord blood banking: public and private. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and must be thoroughly discussed by the OB-GYN in an unbiased manner.
Public cord blood banking is basically just like donating bone marrow. It is then typed and entered into a registry that can be accessed by transplant centers in need of donors. It is made available for any patient that is a suitable match. This means that there is no guarantee that the donor or their family members will get to use it should they need it in the future. In public cord blood banking, storage fees are waived, as they are sponsored and funded by affiliate
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