Is Cord Blood Banking Worth It?

If you’re expecting, it’s likely that thoughts on cord blood banking may have crossed your mind. But with the myriad of medical developments in the market, it’s hard to tell anymore whether certain procedures are worth undergoing or not. Makchic breaks down the details of cord blood banking for you to decide if cord blood banking is right for you.

What is cord blood banking?

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth. This blood is usually discarded but contains potentially lifesaving stem cells. Cord blood banking involves preserving this blood from the umbilical cord of the newborn and storing it for future medical use.

Why is saving cord blood so important?

The cord blood of your baby is abundant in medical benefits. As an alternative to bone marrow, donated cord blood can also be used to rebuild a new healthy immune system and is used to treat and cure over 80 life threatening diseases. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists state that cord blood can be used for treatments on acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic myelocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Cells in cord blood are genetically related between baby and direct family members resulting in an extension of the donor pool. One of the advantages of having the availability of cord blood as an alternative to bone marrow is the increased likelihood of being able to tolerate a mismatch of tissues between donor and the recipient. This means having the similar ability to treat diseases but with significantly less rejection.

What to look for in a cord blood bank

According to StemLife, Malaysia’s first cord blood bank, there are several things you should look out for when finding a cord blood bank that fits your needs and requirements

• How long they’ve been in the business:
  A strong track record with positive testimonies signifies the reputability which is important knowing that it is properly stored for future use.
• Laboratory standards and facilities provided:
  Ensure the facility meets all the standards needed to fun such a facility. A proper cord blood bank should have no issue providing licenses and accreditations from recognized authorities that monitor the standard of operations of the laboratory.
• Comprehensive blood testing and screening:
  This is non negotiable. Every facility is required to measure the volume of blood collected, the count of total nucleated cells (TNC), CD34+ cell count and their viability, identify the baby’s blood type, along with testing for infectious diseases (such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, HIV or CMV) and running through a contamination test in both cord blood and maternal blood.
• Flexibility of storage plans:
  Every family has different needs. Pricing differs based on how long the tissue is stored.

How is cord blood collected?

The procedure takes no longer than 15 to 20 minutes and does not interfere with the delivery of the child.

According to this study performed by the Thai Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology there are three methods used to collect the blood:

• Collection of cord blood by hanging method after delivering placenta.
• Collection of cord blood into a standard blood bag while placenta is still in utero.
• Collection of cord blood into a standard blood bag while placenta is still in utero, followed by flushing with sodium chloride solution.

There is a fragile 15 minute time frame following the birth where the blood must be collected within. If the procedure is delayed any longer the blood is deemed unusable. The blood is then shipped to the cord blood bank and should be processed within 48 hours of collection.

Are there any risks involved?

Cord blood collection poses no health risks to the mother or to the baby. Not only is it totally safe but the cord blood is only drawn from the umbilical cord after it has been cut preventing any sort of pain, discomfort, or harm.

But do parents really need it?

Amidst the nuances that cord blood banking may be an unnecessary medical process, Audrey Ooi of fourfeetnine, who’s a mother of one, sees it as a form of insurance. Ideally, there won’t be an instance where you will need to access these cells to address a medical problem. But keeping it provides peace of mind knowing that it is available if need be. If for any reason you feel like it is of no use to you, the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s National Blood Bank accepts non-directed donations which could potentially save a life.

But with most medical procedures there are also cases of complications, such as the blood being contaminated during collection, how it could be disadvantageous in premature deliveries or if proper process is neglected. Click here to read more and to see if cord blood banking is right for you and your baby.

Centres available in Malaysia

In Malaysia, there are several companies that provide cord blood banking services. We recommend doing a little bit of research on your own before contacting these companies to make a more informed decision:

StemLife : 03-2166 3636

CyroCord : 03-8689 8888

Cellsafe: 1-300-88-2355 /03-2303 9380

StemTech: 03-6141 8881 / 016-238 8000 / 016-205 7000

KOZA: 03-6201 7969

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Image credit: 4medcare.com