Cord blood has become dilemma for pregnant couples; Among the many decisions facing you before birth, somewhere between a wagon selection decision on the name of the future, there is another question: Is collect the cord blood immediately after birth, for future therapy. Is derived from the umbilical cord blood of newborn after birth, and is a source of stem cells that prime.
Ostensibly, the decision is simple: the procedure does not hurt, does not endanger the fetus or the mother and simply do. On the other hand, the high cost of blood conservation and doubts about the efficacy of the process makes the dilemma with meaning. Here are some facts and important information that could help them in the decision.
Cord blood: What should I expect?
1. Why should it? Cord blood is rich in stem cells, "general cells' differentiation yet biologically and can theoretically become any type of cell in the body. Currently used stem cells from cord blood to produce bone marrow, implanted in the bodies of cancer patients. Also, it is used to cure various genetic diseases, and around the world are various studies designed to discover additional uses embryonic stem cells. According to the most optimistic scenario, the future will be used to create stem cells that organ, and there would be no need of organ donation for transplantation.
2. What does it cost? Israel, there are several private banks to preserve cord blood, and cost saving one sample ranged from 4,000 shekels to 7,000 shekels. The price difference lies in the different conservation methods of the samples (eg, gradual freezing of the sample or the immediate freezing, storage character, split the number of samples to allow more than one future use), and various insurance options. There are banks that offer insurance to cover the costs of the transplant if needed, what increases the cost of the procedure.
Simcha Samuel, director of the cord blood bank laboratory "Cell Life", noted that there is no need to purchase a specific insurance for transplants, since the procedure is included in the health basket. According to Samuel, "I always recommend you purchase comprehensive private health insurance and quality, but do not need special insurance for transplants." Know that there is a public bank, you freeze the sample for free. The downside: sampling does not guarantee you, if God forbid you need it someday, you may find already used for another person who fits.
3. For how long cord blood can be preserved? Banks operating in Israel offering storage services for a period of 15 to 20 years. However, since the orbital durability of the cells is still questioned, offering banks the option to extend the contract if necessary.
4. How to choose the Bank to preserve? Since this is a significant decision, take some time to ponder. Contact with all the private banks, ask them to material and compare them. Since most of us are not certified biologists, it is important to pay attention to several parameters: ensuring sterility, splitting the sample number of samples a year to not spend it all one thaw, donated portions security storage conditions. But like many major life decisions, the decision where to store the cord blood (if any) you receive from the gut.
What procedure and what the pros and cons?
5. How the process is carried out in practice? Having a baby is interested in collecting cord blood has to sign a contract with private banks, or choose a home birth allows public bank donation (Wolfson, Holon, Tel Aviv or Lys). The delivery room with a woman reaches the value received in advance, and she must inform the staff that is interested in collecting blood . immediately after severing the umbilical cord, connected to a transfusion cord, and blood was collected into a bag of sterile. The bag is passed laboratories Bank, where she covered and frozen. act of collecting cord blood is simple and requires no special skill. You can collect the cord blood after a cesarean section, and even birth Home.
6. If not able to collect the blood at birth? "Here at least, if the blood collection fails for any reason or if not collected enough blood for sampling the deal is off, and we do not charge the woman," says Samuel. Definitely another point in time you hold out the market survey among banks.
7. Cons cord blood preservation. Some argue that cord blood is important to prevent anemia during the first months of infant life, and therefore prevented from collecting cord blood, which requires almost instantaneous severance of the umbilical cord. In addition, they claimed that the amount of material collected is not enough for an adult patient, and therefore useful only a small number of years, and that cord blood may be infected with diseases not known at the time of collection. In addition, according to some studies, bone marrow transplant stem cells from leaving the recipient vulnerable to infection for longer than normal bone marrow donation.
8. Blood conservation benefits. Bone marrow derived from umbilical cord blood is considered cleaner and purer the contribution of bone marrow, for he rarely was exposed to infection. Percent of his match high transplant, and transplant stem cells that are based Tburiim less likely to be rejected. Another benefit is available: Unlike bone marrow donation, which requires detection of the donor listed in the database or even if production does not find a suitable donor was found, using cells derived from umbilical cord blood is almost immediate.