Cord Blood Bank

What is cord blood preservation?

Cord blood preservation means preserving the umbilical cord blood of the new born baby with cord blood banks.

How useful is cord blood preservation?

If the usefulness of cord blood preservation is the question that is troubling you, you should look at facts and figures and listen to those who have decided that cord blood preservation is something that they need to undertake for the sake of their children and family members or for the welfare of society.  

What are the misconceptions about cord blood preservation?

A common misconception about cord blood preservation is that Doctors will not treat a child with his own cord blood.  The cord blood preservation would benefit the family members of the child but not the child itself.   Statistics show that thousands of autologous(self cord blood) transplants are performed across the United States to treat diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other kinds of solid tumors.  The Journal of Clinical Oncology reports that the child’s own stem cells are the best source for regeneration of cells in the child even in cases where the disease attacks the system within twelve months of birth.    So cord blood preservation is beneficial for the child whose cord blood has been preserved. Cord blood preservation is just as useful for allogeneic (siblings and family members) transplants. 

Cord blood preservation is considered unnecessary by some as they are convinced that the need for transplants will never arise.  They think it is a waste of time to make the effort at cord blood preservation for remote possibilities.   It must be remembered that it is difficult to calculate the odds of a family succumbing to cancer. There are many estimates of this and one estimate figures that the chances that a child will require cord blood transplant is around 1:400 and that a family member may require transplant from the cord blood preservation is 1: 200.  Yet other estimates put the ratio at 1:100, And to make it more confusing -  others place the requirement as 1:2700. Whatever the ratio, cord blood preservation can protect the child from diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Leukemia and diabetes by yielding up the stem cells when it is most needed by the family. 

The advantages of cord blood preservation are that the transplant does not carry with it a risk of rejection. It is not a graft and the host must accept it as an autologous(self cord blood) source. It is also immediately available and has a low risk of disease contamination.  It is for this reason that more and more medical practitioners support cord blood preservation.

Cord blood preservation plans offer storage facilities of 18-24 years at a time. Renewal options are also provided and can be utilized on expiry of the initial storage period. The cord blood is preserved in liquid nitrogen during this period.  However, Doctors are not sure about the length of time for which the cord blood can be preserved in their pristine condition.  Cord blood stored for around ten years have not shown any signs of deterioration and hence it is presumed that the cord blood can be stored for long periods without visible deterioration in their condition.