ORLANDO, Fla. – The umbilical cord that is cut when a baby is born contains some valuable resources that, according to recent studies, can save lives.
After the birth of a baby, the umbilical cord often goes to waste. However, there are some benefits in using the umbilical cord blood to treat diseases such as the sickle cell disease and leukemia.
The blood found inside the umbilical cord is commonly known as the umbilical cord blood or the cord blood. This has all the normal elements found in blood such as the white and red blood cells. It also packed with a volume of stem cells that are similar to what is found in the bone marrow.
According to a pediatric surgeon at the Florida Hospital in Orlando, James E. Baumgartner, MD, the birth moment is as exciting as it is dramatic because a lot of things are happening.
Donating of the umbilical cord blood is, however, not a common option that most people hear about. The cord blood and bone marrow have the same type of the stem cell, however, those found in the cord blood has more advantages.
Stem cells from the cord blood are younger compared to the stem cells in the bone marrow of an adult which makes the former less likely to be rejected by the recipient’s body.
Another benefit in using cord blood is that it is less invasive compared to taking the bone marrow for transplant. The procedure of taking the blood from the umbilical cord is also painless and only takes about a few minutes.
After the umbilical cord is clamped during birth, it will be wiped with antiseptic and a needle is then inserted into a vein to draw a few ounces of the blood.
Baumgartner also said that they are collecting data for the possible risks it may bring for kidney damage, lung damage, heart damage, and liver damage. They are also carefully looking into its possible effect of nervous system damage, but they have found nothing so they believe that it can be pretty safe.
The stem cells found in cord blood do not have to match that of the patient, not like in bone marrow transplants. This can help about 70% of stem cell transplant patients who can’t find matching donors within their own families.
Cord blood can be saved for possible use in the future or can also be donated to a bank.
The only present drawback when it comes to the umbilical cord blood is that the number of stem cells found are relatively small. This means that young children benefit from it more than the adults because the former need lesser stem cells for transplants.
