In recent years, a growing number of parents are deciding to invest in umbilical cord blood banking as future health insurance for their children. The option is particularly crucial for people with a family history of genetically inheritable diseases and health conditions. That increases the risk of their children contracting these health issues. By preserving the umbilical cord blood, they can ensure that their children can use it for cell therapies to cure or control inherited health problems. One main hurdle one will have to face while planning for cord blood banking is the soaring cord blood bank costs. However, it is possible to find an affordable cord blood bank that takes only a low rental fee, for instance, only $19.99/month from you, if you search prudently

What is umbilical cord blood?

Umbilical cord blood is the blood obtained from the detached umbilical cord right after the birth of a baby. This blood is rich in red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, plasma, and stem cells, and the latter is specifically crucial in cell therapies. The process of harvesting stem cells from the umbilical cord blood is easy and painless, and it is possible to get a higher count of stem cells than what you might retrieve from the bone marrow.

These stem cells are also younger, and that’s why they are better at replicating and diversifying. They are currently being used to rebuild the immune system and treat blood disorders, metabolic disorders, osteoporosis, immunodeficiencies, and cancers.

What is umbilical cord blood banking?

Umbilical cord blood banking is the process of storing the umbilical cord blood for an unforeseeable period in the expectancy of using it in the future. Generally, parents research cord blood banks at least six weeks before the birth of their baby and select one that meets their requirements. After the birth, a doctor or nurse will collect around 80 to 100 milliliters of cord blood, and they will dispatch the extracted blood via a medical courier to the blood bank.

The blood will then undergo automated or manual processing and screening for bacterial contamination and other infections. The technicians will freeze it using cryogenic methods and give it a number for quick retrieval when the depositor needs it. At that time, the technicians will unfreeze the preserved cord blood and send it to the medical facility for the depositor to use in their medical cell therapy. They will receive the cord blood intravenously for their treatment.

How to select a cord blood bank?

You can research and compare different cord blood banks online to make your selection. The reputable ones will have detailed information about their processes and procedures on their websites, and they will also be willing to answer your queries and concerns. You should check if they have accreditation from the FDA and other agencies.

They should have automated processing for more precise results and storage and reliable power backup to ensure that the stored cord blood remains safe and maintained at the right temperature at all times. There will be a monthly, 20-month, annual, or lifetime umbilical cord blood banking charge, and you can decide what will suit your budget.

What diseases can umbilical cord blood cure?

Researchers are currently undertaking clinical trials to examine the different health applications of umbilical cord blood. Using the patient’s own preserved cord blood is known as an autologous transplant. As compared to an allogeneic transplant, where the cord blood will come from a family member or a matching donor, this type of transplant is safer and the chances of the body rejecting or reacting badly to it are significantly lower.

The diseases that umbilical cord blood can cure are as follows:

Umbilical cord blood can treat various cancerous and non-cancerous genetic disorders. Doctors use it to treat solid tumors like neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, and retinoblastoma. It is useful in treating the sickle cell, metachromatic leukodystrophy, thalassemia, Krabbe disease, and Hunter syndrome. Other health conditions it can treat are Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, multiple myeloma, plasma cell leukemia, and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia.

Researchers are undertaking clinical trials to explore using umbilical cord blood to treat Alzheimer’s disease, autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. They are also considering its potential for treating type 1 and type 2 diabetes and severe combined immunodeficiency.

At present, researchers have limited the clinical trials with umbilical cord blood to laboratory research with cell cultures and experiments on animals. There have not been any human clinical trials so far.