Harvesting cord blood involves collecting up to 180mL of blood from a newborn baby that is returned to the neonatal circulation if the umbilical cord is not prematurely clamped. In some obstetric and midwifery practices, physiological extended-delayed cord clamping protocol, as well as water birth, allows for the cord blood to pulse into the neonate for 5-20 minutes after delivery. If the umbilical cord is not clamped, a physiological clamping occurs upon interaction with cold air, when the internal gelatinous substance, called Wharton's jelly, swells around the umbilical artery and veins.
A cord blood bank may be a private commercial enterprise, or a public medical resource, used to store umbilical cord blood for future use.
Cord blood banking can be controversial within the medical and parenting communities, because blood collection can take up to 180mL of blood from the neonate. However, collection of this cord blood does has not been demonstrated to correlate with any measurable health risks for newborns. Furthermore, the process is conducted within the delivery room, under the guidance of obstetricians and nurses. To date, there are no documented cases in which a newborn has experienced detrimental effects from the collection of cord blood.
While it is recognized that cord blood is rich in valuable hematopoietic stem cells, the American Academy of Pediatrics 2008 Policy Statement on Cord Blood Banking[1] states that:
"Physicians should be aware of the claims of private cord blood banks made to future parents that promise to insure infants or family members against serious illnesses in the future by use of the stem cells contained in cord blood." In essense, this statements means that the claims put forth by private cord blood banks are predictive in nature, and whether they turn out to be substantiated or not will depend on the direction and progress made through modern medicine.
Thus, it is important for parents to empower themselves with knowledge about the cord blood collection process, techniques associated with preservation, and finally both current and probably future therapeutic applications. Acquiring this knowledge prepares each parent to make the choice they believe is best for both their child's immediate medical health and future medical health. Regarding the current state of cord blood banking, there are no "right" or "wrong" answers - only different perspectives on the analysis of risk, cost, and potential (health) rewards.
A cord blood bank may be a private commercial enterprise, or a public medical resource, used to store umbilical cord blood for future use.
Cord blood banking can be controversial within the medical and parenting communities, because blood collection can take up to 180mL of blood from the neonate. However, collection of this cord blood does has not been demonstrated to correlate with any measurable health risks for newborns. Furthermore, the process is conducted within the delivery room, under the guidance of obstetricians and nurses. To date, there are no documented cases in which a newborn has experienced detrimental effects from the collection of cord blood.
While it is recognized that cord blood is rich in valuable hematopoietic stem cells, the American Academy of Pediatrics 2008 Policy Statement on Cord Blood Banking[1] states that:
"Physicians should be aware of the claims of private cord blood banks made to future parents that promise to insure infants or family members against serious illnesses in the future by use of the stem cells contained in cord blood." In essense, this statements means that the claims put forth by private cord blood banks are predictive in nature, and whether they turn out to be substantiated or not will depend on the direction and progress made through modern medicine.
Thus, it is important for parents to empower themselves with knowledge about the cord blood collection process, techniques associated with preservation, and finally both current and probably future therapeutic applications. Acquiring this knowledge prepares each parent to make the choice they believe is best for both their child's immediate medical health and future medical health. Regarding the current state of cord blood banking, there are no "right" or "wrong" answers - only different perspectives on the analysis of risk, cost, and potential (health) rewards.
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