Cord Blood Processing And Storage
Over recent years, more and more people have come to realize that the cord blood in the umbilical cord and placenta following the birth of a baby can prove invaluable in the treatment of a variety of diseases, and can even save lives. Although the placenta and umbilical cord have traditionally been discarded after the birth of the baby, an increasing number of parents-to-be are electing to have this valuable cord blood donated or stored after the baby is born. The process for cord blood preservation is very easy, and this has made is far simpler for interested parents-to-be to enjoy the benefits of cord blood storage.
Cord blood can be used to donate to one of the many blood banks that are now springing up all over the country. This can then be used for the treatment of a variety of diseases, enabling the birth of a new life to potentially save another life in the future. This cord blood can also be sent to a cord blood bank for storage and for use by your own family should the need arise for treatment in the future, offering peace of mind and a unique form of health insurance for your family.
The stem cells that are contained in abundance in cord blood are already helping to treat a variety of potentially dangerous or fatal diseases, and it is thought that with ingoing research, this stem cell therapy could become one of the most common forms of treatment for a vast range of diseases and illnesses, including some serious illnesses.
The first step once you have decided that you want to preserve the cord blood following your baby’s birth is to contact a suitable cord blood bank. You may come across several that are close by, and you should look carefully into the different aspects of each in order to determine which is the best one for you.
If you are storing your cord blood for use by your own family in the future, you will have to pay enrolment fees and storage charges, which can vary. You should compare the costs of each blood banking facility, and also compare aspects such as their success rate with treatment provide through their stored stem cells, and find out more about the way that they store the cells.
You will also need to let the hospital know of your intentions, as a qualified member of staff will need to be present at the birth. This staff member will then collect the blood from the placenta and umbilical cord using a syringe or blood bag. This will be enveloped and then sent to the relevant cord blood bank via courier to ensure a safe, speedy delivery. Any cord blood banks will send out a courier to collect the cord blood from the hospital, and it is then taken directly to the cord blood bank to be effectively and quickly processed.
The stem cells contained in the cord blood have to be frozen in order to be preserved. Once the cord blood has been delivered to the cord blood bank of your choice, the staff quickly gets to work on the blood. Firstly, the stem cells are isolated. They are then frozen, and liquid nitrogen is used to actually store the stem cells and keep them preserved.
Once they have been stored in the liquid nitrogen, the stem cells remain at the cord blood bank until they are required for use. It has been shown that these frozen stem cells can be used even a decade after storage, although research is still underway with regards to determining a more precise storage time frame. However, it appears that these stem cells can save lives years after they have been stored with the bank.
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