July is Cord Blood Awareness Month: Why You Should Care

 By Sharon Lewis

What is cord blood? It is the blood in the umbilical cord – the lifeline that connects a baby to its mother. While cord blood is considered medical waste, it contains red and white blood cells and is rich in stem cells.

Red blood cells (RBCs) transport oxygen from the lungs to the body and return carbon dioxide to the lungs. White blood cells (WBCs) are key to the immune system. They protect against infections by identifying and destroying pathogens. Stem cells can differentiate into various cell types and self-renew. Hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow produce all blood cells, including RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. They are vital for growth, tissue repair, and treatments like bone marrow transplants for leukemia.

Stem cells can be used to treat approximately 80 different medical conditions. Stem cells have been used in transplant medicine and, more recently, in regenerative medicine – the research and application of therapies that support the body’s ability to heal itself.

Cord blood can be stored or banked after delivery without discomfort or inconvenience to the mother or child. For a healthy person, making stem cells is not a problem. For those individuals, stem cells from cord blood can be

lifesaving, and banking cord blood can serve the entire community.

Scientists have already determined that many cancers, including leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and some solid tumor cancers can be treated with stem cell therapies.

Also, many blood, genetic, metabolic, and immune system conditions can be treated with stem cells. Research is underway to determine if they can be used to treat such conditions as stroke, diabetes, birth asphyxia (brain damage from low oxygen), cerebral palsy, autism, Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), heart failure, osteoarthritis, and other conditions.

According to Advanced Nurse Practitioner Monique Jones MSN is a nurse practitioner in Southfield, MI., stem cells and other biologic agents are being utilized in wound healing, along with infection control and nutrition, to decrease the size of wounds quickly and exponentially.

The process of collecting cord blood begins after the baby is delivered. After the umbilical cord is cut, the cord and placenta are collected, and a needle is inserted into the cord to extract the blood which then goes into a sterile bag with a blood thinner so the blood does not clot. No blood is taken from the baby or mother. The collection can be done after a vaginal or cesarean section delivery.

Parents interested in banking their cord blood should inform their healthcare provider who may be able to collect and send the cord blood to the cord blood bank. Unfortunately, not all hospitals do the collection. Once there, the blood is processed, typed, and screened for diseases or other disorders to ensure that it is safe to use. The blood is cryogenically frozen and then stored.

A common question for parents is “Can my child use their own cord blood?” The answer to that is no. However, siblings or other family members may be able to use the banked cord blood for a life-saving stem cell transplant. The storage process does not affect you or your child and it gets thrown away. There is no risk and no harm done by electing to store it.

By banking cord blood, the life of a loved one or of a perfect stranger may be saved. Either way, it could save a life.