Have you heard of cord blood banking, cord blood stem cell banking, or perhaps umbilical cord blood banking. The term should probably be collection rather than banking. Anyway, it is the collection of cord blood that has got me ranting this time – with a little bit of a rave as well.
There is plenty of scientific evidence now to show that the harvesting of stem cells from the umbilical cord blood of a new born baby can be used to effectively treat certain illnesses. In Australia there has been a lot of controversy over the use of embryonic stem cells for research – from what I have read the stem cells from cord blood can also be used for research.
To date they have had varying success with the treatment of leukemia and other childhood diseases. With research who knows what the future may hold. We don’t know and we wont know unless we collect this blood and allow research to progress.
My rant is directed towards our local health services although from what I can gather, there are many places around the world were the same is true. We live around an hours drive from the nearest capital city. They collect blood donations, pathology specimens and other medical information but they will not collect cord blood to be sent off and processed. Why? They are not set up for it.
It takes about 5 minutes to insert a syringe and draw of the blood from the baby’s umbilical cord and store it for collection. The collected blood can then be sent off at the same time as all the samples. I think it is a small thing to ask when the potential benefits are huge.
Have you had your baby’s cord blood collected for stem cell harvesting and storage or use? Do you know about private collection for future use by your family? Cord blood stem cell banking is big business in the US when it comes to private use. For public use, there are far too few resources available.
I was looking for blog ideas to add to my site and I found your site. I like what you have done and will be sure to check back for updates.
Cord blood should be banked absolutely, donated that is – to a PUBLIC bank.
Private cord blood banks pray on fears of new parents; it is very expensive to bank a cord blood privately, money better spent on child-proofing a home (the highest chance of injury for a child). That is unless a compelling reason exists to do so (ie: a sibling with cancer).
My daughter was born with leukemia – banking her cord blood would have been pointless (as it would have re-introduced her disease). It was an unrelated cord blood found in a PUBLIC bank that saved her life. Agreed there are not enough public banks, but parents need to discuss cord blood banking with their doctors and truly understand how unlikely it is that they will need it – BUT ALSO how there is probably a child out there who *will*. I have known children who have passed away waiting for a match that never came…I would hate to think that match was safely stored away in the private bank of another child who will never need it.
Hi Sarah – I totally agree with you. The problem as I see it, particularly here in Australia, is that there is not enough government support to collect cord blood even when parents are willing to donate. I also agree on the private v public – public banks are by far the best.
Thank you for taking the effort to leave a comment.
cheers
les
Thanks for sharing the cord blood banking with us….
Really it is great for family and it provides great service….
I fully support banking cord blood. As you said it’s only few minutes and no problems will occur and benefits could be great!
Here in the U.S. we have to overcome the crazy notion from the uptight religious fanatics that stem cell research is unethical. I have a Brother-in-law with Lou Garricks disease and it kills me to watch him die while perfectly healthy people sit on their personal values and dictate how everyone else should live – or die. This guy never smoked, never touched drugs or alcohol and exercised with purpose. Ohio state boxing and kickboxing champ in his twenties and completely paralyzed at forty. Sorry for the soap box.