To start with, let us first understand what is ‘delayed cord clamping’.

According to the International Childbirth Education Association, “Delayed cord clamping is a birth practice where the umbilical cord is not clamped or cut until after pulsations have ceased, or until after the placenta is delivered.”

Now you may ask why this procedure is necessary and how does it impact your baby. At the time of birth, your baby’s body contains two-thirds of the blood whilst the placenta contains about one-third of the blood. Studies have revealed that a delay in the clamping of the umbilical cord can provide newborns approximately 30% more of the foetal-placental blood volume. Thus, delaying the cord clamping will give your baby a healthy blood volume.

Let Us Look At Some More Benefits That Delayed Cord Clamping Can Offer:

• The extra blood that delayed cord clamping provides to your baby can prevent anemia. Since breast milk does not provide sufficient amounts of iron which is important not only for preventing anemia but also for your baby’s brain development, the blood received from delayed clamping can deliver the extra iron content needed by your baby’s body.
• Delayed cord clamping allows your baby to incorporate an increased amount of stem cells into their body as the production of stem cells is highest at the time of birth. Stem cells are a core part of the body’s anatomy. They have the potential to repair and cure any type of internal injuries or illnesses.
• Some studies have shown that the extra time taken to detach the umbilical cord can give your baby a neurodevelopmental boost in later life.
• As mentioned before, delayed cord clamping increases the baby’s blood volume which in turn promotes a healthy neonatal cardiopulmonary transition.
• In the cases of babies who are born prematurely, delayed cord clamping can allow them to have stabilized blood pressure in the days succeeding the birth.

Although delayed cord clamping has several benefits, the ideal time for cord clamping is a topic of much debate. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists “Several systematic reviews have suggested that clamping the umbilical cord in all births should be delayed for at least 30–60 seconds, with the infant maintained at or below the level of the placenta because of the associated neonatal benefits, including increased blood volume, reduced need for blood transfusion, decreased incidence of intracranial hemorrhage in preterm infants, and lower frequency of iron deficiency anemia in term infants. Evidence exists to support delayed umbilical cord clamping in preterm infants, when feasible. The single most important clinical benefit for preterm infants is the possibility for a nearly 50% reduction in intraventricular hemorrhage. However, currently, the evidence is insufficient to confirm or refute the potential for benefits from delayed umbilical cord clamping in term infants, especially in settings with rich resources.”

Delayed cord clamping is a common practice amongst most doctors and has no effect on the process of cord blood collection since the cord blood is collected only after the cord has completely stopped pulsating. So if you are an expecting parent and have opted for cord blood banking, you can speak to Cordlife expert today!

The post Delayed Cord Clamping: A Guide To Research And Options appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.

Recently, close friends Jayesh and Simran delivered a second baby boy, Kiann. Like responsible parents, they believed in their child’s healthy future and went for private cord blood banking in spite of having preserved the umbilical cord for their firstborn a few years ago. In just 3 months’ time, their newborn was diagnosed with osteoporosis. This is possibly a condition where Kiann’s bone formation could be at risk and may lead to a fatality. The couple were optimistic because they were told that stem cell transplantation could actually save their newborn’s life.

In the rarest of cases, when Kiann’s stem cells were taken for testing, the parents found out that Kiann’s cord blood cells contained the same genetic deficiency that caused his disorder. Jayesh and Simran were distraught. But there was light at the end of the tunnel.  Precedence suggested that doctors could explore using donor cells from a close match. In order to treat a genetic disorder known as Fanconi’s anaemia, the first successful sibling-to-sibling cord-blood stem-cell transplant was performed in 1988.

There was hope yet for Kiann. Since Jayesh and Simran had opted to invest in storing their firstborn’s cord blood cells a few years ago, the doctors on testing that sample were able to get a reasonably compatible match. The doctors chose to go ahead with the stem cell transplantation and Kiann is now well on his way to recovery.

So the question that most parents spend a lot of time on is whether there is a need to store the cord blood and tissue for each individual child? In Jayesh and Simran’s case, the fact that they preserved the cord blood cells for both their children actually helped to save the life of their second born child.

According to the Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, “Two full siblings have a 25% chance of being a perfect match, a 50% chance of being a half match, and a 25% chance of not matching at all.” However, Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, Program Director of the division of Paediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation at Duke University Medical Center and one of the earliest to perform an unrelated cord-blood transplant in the U.S says, “One of the wonderful things about cord blood banking is that unlike bone marrow, you don’t always need a perfect match in order for it to work.”

Apart from the medical point of view of why one must consider storing the cord blood and tissue for both children, there is an additional take from a parenting perspective. By opting to bank the cord blood and tissue of a single child, most parents forget that it may lead to a regrettable situation where they may realize that they had made an unequal key medical decision.

Storing the stem cells of each child individually will allow you and your children access to a greater number of stem cells through which their future disorders and diseases can be cured. Dr. Jordan Perlow, MD, a maternal-foetal specialist in Phoenix, post attending medical conferences and having examined and analyzed findings about advances in stem-cell treatments now urges his patients to privately cord blood bank if they can meet the expense of it because he’s confident that it might save their child’s life or the life of another family member.

The post Is It Necessary To Store Cord Blood and Tissue For Each Child? appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.