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Is It Crucial To Store Cord Blood Cells?
Question: It is very critical to store child cord blood or tissue? My wife is going to deliver and we were pondering about stem cell storage. I read that the possibility of using the cord blood in the child's life is very rare and that cord blood cannot be used to treat an adult. Is this true?
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query. It is an individual’s preference to decide whether to store cord blood cells or not and is not very critical.
Cord blood is not the only source of stem cells but they are easy to collect and store and if your child or any sibling needs them in the future then chances of graft versus host reaction after transplantation are very less as compared to bone marrow transplantation. They are crucial for patients with severe cases of leukemia, anemia or immune deficiency.
However your concern is also correct because the volume of cord blood collection is relatively small. It contains enough stem cells to treat a child or a small adult and was considered less for large adults.
Previously, average-sized or larger adults were not thought to be able to benefit from this type of treatment. However, some stem cell transplants have taken place over the last few years using umbilical cord stem cells from two different donors with positive results.
So the issue of storing of cord cells is your own individual decision and you can decide after talking to your wife and her gynecologist.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
Thanks for posting your query. It is an individual’s preference to decide whether to store cord blood cells or not and is not very critical.
Cord blood is not the only source of stem cells but they are easy to collect and store and if your child or any sibling needs them in the future then chances of graft versus host reaction after transplantation are very less as compared to bone marrow transplantation. They are crucial for patients with severe cases of leukemia, anemia or immune deficiency.
However your concern is also correct because the volume of cord blood collection is relatively small. It contains enough stem cells to treat a child or a small adult and was considered less for large adults.
Previously, average-sized or larger adults were not thought to be able to benefit from this type of treatment. However, some stem cell transplants have taken place over the last few years using umbilical cord stem cells from two different donors with positive results.
So the issue of storing of cord cells is your own individual decision and you can decide after talking to your wife and her gynecologist.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Radhika
If we decide to store the stem cells - whether should we use private storage or public storage? What are the advantages of each?
If we don't decide to store the stem cells - whether we can still obtain stem cells from other donors through a cord blood bank? Are there such facilities (public cord blood banks) in India?
Hello,
Thanks for writing back.
In India we are having private stem cells storage banks and there is no Government agency for the same. In the private storage banks, there is fees involved, and contributors can access private storage banks for family members.
However in public storage, you decide to make the stem cells available to others. The cells can then be utilized to save the life of another, unknown person, who shows a match with the donor blood. There is no guarantee that the stem cells remain available for your own child as well.
If you don't decide to store the stem cells, you can obtain stem cells from other donors but this will depend on the donor and recipient matching. There are many private stem cell storage banks in India. For public stem cell storage you can go through the following link: WWW.WWWW.WW
Hope this answers your query.
Wishing you good health.
Thanks for writing back.
In India we are having private stem cells storage banks and there is no Government agency for the same. In the private storage banks, there is fees involved, and contributors can access private storage banks for family members.
However in public storage, you decide to make the stem cells available to others. The cells can then be utilized to save the life of another, unknown person, who shows a match with the donor blood. There is no guarantee that the stem cells remain available for your own child as well.
If you don't decide to store the stem cells, you can obtain stem cells from other donors but this will depend on the donor and recipient matching. There are many private stem cell storage banks in India. For public stem cell storage you can go through the following link: WWW.WWWW.WW
Hope this answers your query.
Wishing you good health.
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
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