If you are expecting a baby, how many things are running through your head? Along with things like baby clothes, toys, and how to decorate the room, another important question that comes to your mind is, "Should I store the baby's cord blood for the future?" In the past, when the baby was born, the umbilical cord and placenta were removed and thrown away. But now, with the advancement of technology, this precious blood in the umbilical cord can be stored for the baby's future health. So, should we be aware of this?
What is Cord Blood Banking?
Simply put, this is the blood that is taken from the umbilical cord and placenta after the baby is born, and stored in a special way for future use. This blood is not like regular blood. It has a special type of cells.
We call these stem cells . These are the basic cells that can develop into any type of cell in our body. Think of them as a blank sheet of paper. Just as we can draw anything on this sheet of paper, these stem cells can develop into any type of cell, such as blood cells, heart cells, nerve cells, etc.
What are the benefits of this?
Cord blood contains a large number of these so-called stem cells . In fact, there are about ten times more stem cells in cord blood than in bone marrow.
These cells can be used to treat many serious diseases.
- Types of cancer: Especially blood cancers like leukemia.
- Blood diseases : Anemia-like conditions.
- Immune system weaknesses: Some medical conditions that reduce the body's ability to fight disease.
Most importantly, when stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood are transplanted into another person, the risk of rejection by that body is half that of cells taken from an adult's bone marrow. And the chance of these cells containing infectious pathogens is very low.
How do you collect this blood?
This is a very simple and painless procedure for both the mother and the baby . After the baby is born, the doctor clamps the umbilical cord in two places and cuts it in between to separate the baby from the mother. Then, a small needle is inserted into the part of the umbilical cord that is connected to the mother and about 40 milliliters of blood are collected. This collected blood is packed in a special bag and sent to a lab or cord blood bank for testing and storage. The entire procedure takes only a few minutes.
Where are these stored? What options do we have?
You have three main options for this. It is very important to have a good understanding of these.
| Bank type | Description | Cost and ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Public Cord Banks | You are donating this blood for public benefit. This is like donating blood. | There is no charge. But you do not own the rights to this blood. It can be used by anyone anywhere in the world who is eligible. It can also be used for research. |
| Private Cord Banks | These are known as "Biological Insurance." Here, blood is stored for use only by your baby or family members. | It costs a lot of money to collect and process, and you have to pay an annual fee to store it. The ownership belongs entirely to your family. |
| Direct-Donation Banks | This is a combination of both public and private banks. It accepts public donations as well as donations that are allocated to families (not common in Sri Lanka). | Usually no fee is charged. |
So, do we really need to do this?
This is the most important question. It's hard to give a straight "yes" or "no" answer to this. But let's pay attention to what the world's major medical associations (such as the American Academy of Pediatrics - AAP) say.
Why should you think twice about storing blood in a private bank?
While private banks call this "biological insurance," the American Medical Association says to be wary of spending money on it for nothing. There are several reasons for this:
- High cost: Collecting blood and storing it for years costs a lot of money.
- Low chance of use: The chance that your baby will use their own cord blood is extremely low . Some studies suggest that the chance may be as low as 1 in 400.
- Genetic diseases cannot be cured: This is something that many people do not know. Imagine that your baby has a genetic disease like Thalassemia or sickle cell anemia . The genetic defect that causes this disease is also present in the stem cells in his umbilical cord blood. Therefore, he cannot use his own blood to cure his genetic disease. This type of transplant of his own cells is called ``Autologous Transplant``.
The world's leading pediatric associations recommend that it is more beneficial for society to donate blood to a public bank rather than storing it in a private bank as a mere "insurance".
So when should you consider a private bank?
Although not generally recommended, you may consider storing blood in a private bank in some special cases. That is, if another child in your family (the baby's brother or sister) already has a disease that can be cured with a stem cell transplant.
Some such diseases are:
- Leukemia
- Immune deficiencies, e.g. SCID (Severe Combined Immune Deficiency)
- Lymphoma (Lymphoma - Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's)
- Aplastic anemia
- Sickle cell anemia
- Thalassemia
- Rare diseases such as Krabbe's disease.
But here's something to understand. There's only a 25% chance that a brother and sister will be a perfect genetic match. Therefore, even a sibling may need cells from an unrelated donor.
How are the twins doing?
- Identical/Monozygotic Twins: These twins are 100% genetically identical. Therefore, if one of them develops a genetic disease or leukemia, the other's cord blood cannot be used. Because that blood also contains the same defective gene.
- Fraternal/Dizygotic twins: These are like normal siblings. Therefore, one's blood can be used by the other, but you need to check if there is a match.
What will happen to these in the future?
Researchers hope that in the future, stem cells will be used to treat many other diseases, including diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, and spinal cord injury. But these are still in the research stage . It is also not yet clear whether these treatments will require cells taken from umbilical cord blood or whether cells from other sources would be better.
So, before making this decision, you and your partner should think about all these aspects together. The best thing to do is to talk openly about this with your doctor. He or she will take into account your family medical history and give you the most suitable advice.
Take-Home Message
- Cord Blood Banking is a completely personal decision.
- Storing blood in a private bank is very expensive, and the likelihood of your own child using it is very low.
- A child's own umbilical cord blood cannot cure a genetic disorder.
- It is best to consider a private bank only if another child in the family has a disease that can be cured with a stem cell transplant.
- Unless there is a specific reason, doctors and international organizations encourage people to donate that precious blood to a public bank and help save the life of someone else in need.
- Before making any decisions, be sure to talk to your doctor about this.
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