Cord Blood Banking

What is cord blood banking?

Cord blood banking refers to the collection and processing of umbilical cord blood for long-term storage in the event that it may be required for cel­lular therapy. Cord blood is a medically and ethical­ly acceptable source of stem cells. The procedure is non-invasive, painless, and has no potential side effects. In addition, the collection of cord blood does not affect the regular delivery of a child; thus, there is no potential harm to either mother or child. When first collected into a blood bag, the unprocessed cord blood is referred to as a cord blood unit (CBU). After processing, the cryopreserved product is referred to as a stem cell unit (SCU).

Why bank my child's cord blood?

Since the first clinically documented use of cord blood stem cells in 1988, cord blood has become increasingly recognized as a significant and ethical source of stem cells that can be used in stem cell therapy, in the treatment of cancers and blood related disorders when a suitable matching bone marrow donor cannot be identified.  Recent studies have shown that cord blood has unique advantages over traditional bone marrow transplantation, particularly in children, and can be life-saving in cases where a suitable bone-marrow donor cannot be found (50% of patients requiring a bone-marrow transplant will not find a suitable donor within a critical period). While some parents must bank cord blood as a clinical requirement for an existing disease, the majority of parents choosing to bank cord blood have healthy pregnancies, and request cord blood banking as a form of biological insurance, to provide an additional treatment option for the set of diseases that can be treated with stem cell therapy. Expectant parents choosing to bank their newborn's cord blood are giving their children the advantage of benefiting from future disease treatments and medical advances that will require matching stem cells. For the same reasons that some parents may choose to purchase life insurance, it is similarly important to be aware of, and informed about cord blood banking, to enhance assurance and peace-of-mind.

Public vs. Private Cord Blood Banking

There are two types of cord blood banks: Public and private. Public cord blood banks are for non-family use. There are two public cord blood banks in Can­ada: One in Montreal (Hema-Quebec Cord Blood Bank) and the other in Edmonton. They process only a limited number of cases pre­sumably due to the high cost of cord blood banking. Only a fraction of eligible cord blood units are ac­cepted by public banks, with the bulk of cord blood units being unfortunately discarded at birth. Families who do­nate their child's cord blood to public banks are not assured their samples would be available to them if required. Private cord blood banks on the other hand store cord blood specifically for family use.

Private cord blood banks are for families wishing to bank for their children's potential future use and are capable of storing cord blood samples for as long as the family chooses. However, less than ten per­cent of expectant parents are aware of cord blood banking, with approximately 98% of cord blood units being discarded as medical waste. Therefore, all expectant parents should be informed and aware of this valuable health option.

Are there any disadvantages to private cord blood banking?

Private cord blood banking is not associated with any side effects. Initial cost can be a factor for some par­ents since the service is not yet covered by the MSP or other medical insurance in Canada; but for the typical Canadian household, cord blood banking is an advisable and affordable investment, equivalent in cost to about a quarter of a cup of regular coffee per day if they choose to bank their child's cord blood for 18 years or more.  Again, parents choosing to bank their child's cord blood with a private cord blood bank guarantees availability of the cord blood sample should it ever be needed for transplantation.

How likely is it that a child will use its stored blood?

Current estimates place the likelihood of a child using its own cord blood at greater than 1 in 2500 before the age of 20, and greater than 1 in 500 by the age of 70. More importantly, there are cur­rently thousands of studies that are investigating new applications for cord blood in the treatment of common life-threatening and disabling diseases such as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Alzheimer's dis­ease, Liver Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Parkin­son's disease, Spinal Cord Injury, or Stroke. With ongoing advances in biomedicine and biotechnol­ogy, it is possible and even likely that nearly every individual born in this generation will benefit from stem cell therapy in her or his lifetime.

Should I recommend cord blood banking to expectant parents?

Every expectant parent should have an opportunity to consider cord blood banking but many parents do not find out until their child's cord blood has already been discarded. After being informed and presented with relevant information, the expectant parents must consider the benefits versus cost; a personal choice that should be based upon an informed decision that the parent is comfortable with. Thus the choice whether to bank, or not to bank, will vary from parent-to-parent depending upon personal and financial values. In the same way that some families feel it is a responsible or worthwhile investment to purchase life or disability insurance, others may de­cide the chance of accidents is slim enough that it could be disregarded; there really is no right or wrong decision.For many parents today, cord blood banking is an optional biomedical 'insurance' that is both affordable and sensible.

Cord Blood Banking Procedures Overview

The cord blood procedure typically involves minimal effort from the expectant parents.  Consulting with several different cord blood banks, we have the general picture as follows:

1. The parents are provided with a cord blood collection kit after registration with a cord blood bank.

2. The parents bring the cord blood collection kit to the hospital on the date of delivery and provide it to the delivering physician or nurse.

3. The physician will collect the cord blood and some maternal blood (for infectious disease testing- required), according to set instructions.

4. The parents ship the cord blood to the processing facility using a pre-arranged courier.

5. The processing facility processes the cord blood upon receipt and conducts cell counting as well as infectious disease testing.

6. After test results are received, a report or certificate is issued to the family.