saving umbilical blood

fiestynurse · Nov 1, 2001

Private Umbilical Cord Blood Banks cost $300-400 initially, then $50-100/year for 15 to 20 years. They freeze the stem cells using cryopreservation.

Pros: * Stem cells in UCB are more primitive than those in

marrow

* They carry lower risk of graft rejection

* Harvesting UCB poses no risk to mother or child

* Potential uses of cord blood stem cells are likely to

increase

* Samples can be matched and used for a sibling or close

relatives

Cons: * Presently, the odds that the average baby will ever use

its banked cord blood are only 4 in 10,000

* The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement

against cord blood banking - costs are high and odds of

use are low

*Diseases which require transplantation of blood stem cells

are still very rare - look at family history

* Long-term viability of samples are about 15 years

*There may not be enough stem cells in a sample for a

successful transplant as the child grows older

Sources of stem cells: 1) Adult bone marrow

2) Umbilical Cord blood

3) Embryonic

Ongoing research is pointing towards the use of embryonic stem cells, which are far superior.

HazeK · Feb 19, 2002

new policy at our hospital: cord blood collections must be arranged between the physician and the patient! L&D staff may NOT participate in any way with the collection or labeling of blood.

our risk-management team went bonkers when it found out that earlier we were facillitating cord blood collections with the families and the doctors! Imagine the liability if something went wrong with the collection or labeling! Hmmmm

MickeymomRN · Feb 19, 2002

Our hospital residents have an arrangement going with the Cord Blood Bank. We collect the Cord Blood and send it in for donor blood if anyone needs it. I think that's a great idea since we are doing so much with it especially stem cell research. Why should we just throw it away just to have someone else kill a fetus to research the same thing? If we have parents who would like to have it saved, they must have already arranged it privately with the bank. We then gather the specimens for them and they arrange for the pick up. It doesn't leave their sight. So no chance of mix up there.