by What is Cord Blood Banking?
Cord blood banking refers to the process of collecting and storing a newborn baby’s umbilical cord blood and umbilical cord tissue after birth for potential use in future stem cell therapies or transplants. The umbilical cord, which connects the developing fetus to the placenta, contains blood that is rich in stem cells. These stem cells have the potential to treat over 80 diseases when a suitable matched donor is found.
Options for Cord Blood Storage
There are mainly two options available for Cord Blood Banking Services– public banking and private banking. In public banking, cord blood is donated to a public bank where it is made available to any patient in need of a transplant regardless of their genetic match to the donor. In private banking, families pay an upfront fee and annual storage cost to bank their baby’s cord blood for potential future personal or family use.
Benefits of Cord Blood Banking Services
Cord blood banking offers significant benefits for newborn babies and their families. Cord blood contains stem cells that can be used to treat blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma as well as genetic disorders like thalassemia. Given the rising success of cord blood transplants, especially for children, families are increasingly choosing private cord blood banking as a form of biological insurance. Some of the key benefits include:
– Lower risk of transplant rejection – Since cord blood comes from the baby him/herself, there is a greater chance of finding an immunological match which lowers the risk of graft-versus-host disease.
– Availability of stem cells – Umbilical cord blood contains 5 times more stem cells than bone marrow. These primitive stem cells have the ability to turn into any cell type in the body, making them highly valuable.
– Potential future cures – Cord blood banking when coordinated with continual medical research could pave the way for future cures or therapies that don’t even exist today. New medical applications are being discovered regularly.
– Ethical source of stem cells – Cord blood is collected non-invasively after childbirth from the discarded umbilical cord and placenta. This makes it an ethical source of stem cells compared to other sources like embryonic stem cells.
– Insurance for entire family – In case of a private banked cord blood, the stored stem cells can potentially benefit not just the donor baby but also parents, siblings, and possibly even grandparents, aunts or uncles in case of genetic conditions.
Factors to Consider in Cord Blood Banking Services
While cord blood banking does provide significant benefits, there are a few factors parents must carefully weigh before making a decision:
– Cost implications – Private cord blood banking has initial storage and processing fees ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 plus annual storage costs of $100. There is no guarantee the stored cells will ever be used.
– Limited future use – Cord blood transplants are currently used to treat nearly 80 diseases. However, its therapeutical applications may reduce or be exhausted as new treatments emerge. Stem cells from other sources could potentially replace cord blood in future.
– Storage period – Most private cord banks guarantee to store cord blood for at least 21 years. However, the viability and potency of stored cells over extremely long periods of time remains untested. Proper and continued storage is important.
– Medical necessity – For many families, the likelihood their child will need a cord blood transplant is very low. Opting for private storage should be a medical decision rather than one based on financial concerns alone.
– Alternatives – Bone marrow registries provide stem cells for transplantation and spare families significant costs of private banking. Umbilical cord tissue banking is another lower cost alternative being explored.
Making an Informed Decision
With advantages as well as limitations, cord blood banking services has emerged as an important option for many expecting families. However, weighing the pros and cons requires careful consideration of individual family needs, medical history and financial flexibility. Consulting a medical expert to understand likelihood of potential future therapies can help maximize benefits while avoiding future regret over an uninformed choice. An informed decision about cord blood banking ultimately relies on understanding both the promise and practical realities.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it.
Ravina Pandya, Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has an expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals.
