Cord Blood Banking

Context:

Recently, Poona Citizen Doctors’ forum dispels beliefs on commercial cord blood banking. It has warned to-be parents against falling prey to the emotional marketing tactics of stem cell banking companies.

Cord Blood:

• Cord blood (short for umbilical cord blood) is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta post-delivery.
• Cord blood has an abundance of stem cells and immune system cells, and the medical uses of these cells have been expanding at a rapid pace.

Uses of Cord Blood:

• The umbilical cord fluid is loaded with stem cells. They can treat cancer, blood diseases like anemia, and some immune system disorders, which disrupt your body’s ability to defend itself.
• As these cells help the body re-generate tissues and systems, cord blood is often referred to as
• regenerative medicine.
• The fluid has 10 times more stem cells than those collected from bone marrow.
• Stem cells from cord blood rarely carry any infectious diseases and are half as likely to be rejected as adult stem cells.

Cord Blood Banking:

• Cord blood banking is the process of collecting the cord blood and extracting and cryogenically freezing its stem cells and other cells of the immune system for potential future medical use.
• Globally, cord blood banking is recommended as a source of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematological cancers and disorders where its use is recommended.