Stem cell banking:

Being a new mum when i heard about cord blood banking i was very curious to know about it. We want everything that can be used to treat serious diseases later on in the child’s life.

Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells

STEM CELLS: Stem cells are essentially the building blocks of the human body. Stem cells are capable of dividing for long period of time, are unspecialized, but can develop into specialized cells. The earliest stem cells in the human body are those found in the human embryo. The stem cells inside an embryo will eventually give rise to every cell, tissue and organ in the fetus body.

Why umbilical cord stem cells:

Rich Source of Stem Cells

•Cord blood is believed to contain 10 times the amount of stem cells found in bone marrow of an equal portion.

Regenerative Source

•Because stem cells found in cord blood are younger, they are more likely than stem cells found in bone marrow to have proliferative properties; this means that stem cells found in cord blood have a greater ability to regenerate.

Umbilical cord-blood banking:

IT basically means collecting and storing the blood from within the umbilical cord (the part of the placenta that delivers nutrients to a fetus) after a baby is born.

Stem cells are currently being used to treat following diseases.

Cord blood contains blood-forming stem cells, which are potentially useful for treating diseases that require stem cell transplants

•Leukemia; Thalassemia; Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma; Hodgkin’s disease; Hunter’s syndrome ; Neuroblastoma; Sickle cell disease; and a range of cancers

In future it may be used for

•Heart disease; Alzheimer’s; Multiple sclerosis; Muscular dystrophy; Parkinson’s disease; Diabetes





How to store :

•If you’re pregnant and are considering storing your baby’s stem cells, register with a service provider about a month before your due date.

•Check with your doctor that correct retrieval will be possible.

•Nearer to the birth, the bank will send a sterile collection kit for the obstetrician to use.

•Umbilical cord stem cell banking is completely safe for mother and child.

•It is a 10-minute procedure that involves collection of cord blood from the umbilical cord after it has been clamped and cut after delivery.

•At the bank’s lab, the blood will be processed and the stem cells harvested and stored in a cryogenic depository at -196 degrees Celsius.



Where to store:

Private cord blood banks store the blood for a fee, in the event that the family might need it in the future. The banks also let families donate the blood for free, where it can be matched with patients in need or used for medical research.

The best stem cell banking organizations in India today are :

The top picks are Life Cell (laboratories in Chennai and Guru gram),

Baby Cell (laboratory in Lonavala, Mumbai)

Cord Life (laboratory in Kolkata.)

Cyroviva India

Storing cord blood cells in India for 18 to 20 years will cost around 65,000 - 80,000.

There are wide ranges of information needed to be known before selecting a Cord blood bank. After reading the mixed reviews for stem cell banking and financial health of stem cell banks I believe its insurance. It shares the same characteristic of insurance philosophy, you take it however wish to not use it. Actually we consider it for future security and we cannot predict the future.

When I consulted the doctors, some of them suggested to go for it and some suggested as “your choice”. So I opted as my choice but it totally depends on you.