Cord Blood Stem Cells: Advantages And What You Need To Do Before Collection

by Avinash Mittal Blogger

Cord blood is that blood which is left in the umbilical cord & placenta after birth. This blood contains special cells known as hematopoietic stem cells. These cells have the capability of transforming into different types of blood cells in the body; thus, it can be used for treating some types of diseases. Hematopoietic stem cells can also be found in blood & bone marrow in adults and in children.

Hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs can be used in the treatment of more than 70 types of diseases, which includes the diseases of the genetic disorders, immune system, neurologic disorders, and also some forms of cancer, including leukaemia& lymphoma. For some of these health diseases, stem cells are used for the primary treatment. Whereas for others, treatment with stem cells might be used when other treatments haven't worked or in experimental research programs.

Advantages Of Using Cord Blood Stem Cells Over Bone Marrow Stem Cells For Treatment Of Disease

Following are the advantages of opting for cord blood stem cell bank instead of using those in bone marrow:

·       Cord blood stem cells can be given to more people than the ones extracted from bone marrow. There is a higher possibility of being a perfect match when the stem cells are extracted from cord blood than bone marrow. Also, stem cells in cord blood are less likely to cause rejection than stem cells in the bone marrow.

·       Bone marrow stem cells are harder to collect than it is to collect from the cord blood. Also, collecting bone marrow poses some risks & it is a painful procedure for the donor.

·       Cord blood can be frozen and preserved for years. And it is ready for anyone to use whoever needs it. Bone marrow, on the other hand, must be used soon after it is collected. 

·       Cord blood stem cells can be used to strengthen the immune system during the treatment of cancer. Bone marrow stem cells are not capable of doing this.

Things You Need To Do Before Collecting Cord Blood 

There are certain things that need to be done beforehand:

·       The cord blood stem cell bank must be notified, and the collection kit must be obtained at least 6 weeks in advance of your due date. 

·       You need to provide your family's medical history and also the mother's blood needs to be tested beforehand.

·       It is important to give an official consent before labour begins.

·       If you choose to preserve cord blood stem cells in a private bank, you'll have to sign a contract and pay a fee before the baby is born.

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Created on Apr 27th 2020 01:08. Viewed 232 times.

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