Umbilical cord blood plays a potent role in treating life-threatening ailments like sickle cell anaemia, lymphoma, leukaemia and the like. Today, over 25,000 patients round the globe have had cord blood transplants since their parents had a long-term vision that made them donate the child’s umbilical cord blood to a prominent cord blood bank.

In fact, most ace doctors and health experts suggest that cord blood must be preserved until there’s need of it. Medical science presently believes that cord blood can be preserved for an indefinite time, so that it can be of use for several generations. Stem cell transplants having 40 years as the average age, the longer the cord tissue and cord blood is stored, the maximum will be its use. And this where the accreditation process ties in!

Who Manages the Cord Blood Banking Facilities?

Simply put, the cord blood banks get regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is essential for all cord blood banks to register their name with the FDA and welcome the recurrent inspections and adhere to the regulations listed by this body. Furthermore, there are several other cord blood banks, comprising of the Core 23 BioBank, that willingly place themselves for other additional regulation under reputed accrediting bodies such as FACT and AABB.

Recently, AABB accreditation is considered to be the standard or key to cord blood transplant globally, where about 70% of the AABB accredited cord blood banks are located outside of U.S. As an authorized and authentic accrediting organization for cellular therapies and transfusion medicine round the word, the AABB gives a patient ear to the stories from various members of blood banks, hospitals and other bodies. Listening, it is said is a vital aspect of AABB’s accreditation process and programme.

As a group of AABB assessor approach an organization, basic checklists aren’t what they depend on! On the other hand, their key responsibility is to enquire, observe, gather data, build connections and provide a direct feedback on the organization’s accomplishments in catering to AABB’s technical and quality management par. Other than the formal reviewing process, there’s a peer-to-peer knowledge sharing process that takes place along with other discussions related to the best practices. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the accreditation programme of AABB is accredited by International Society for Quality in Healthcare, a notable global organization that oversees and accredits accrediting bodies.

In fact, back in 2016 it a Dubai based AABB accredited cord blood bank successfully delivered a life-saving treatment of a 7-year-old boy, by providing stem cells that has been obtained from the umbilical cord blood that was saved 3 years before the birth of his sibling. This 7-year-old boy, who’s the elder brother, was diagnosed with major beta thalassemia, which is a blood disorder that might require daily blood transfusions and in a lifetime, can branch out into other various serious health hazards and ailments.

There are several reasons why AABB accreditation is considered the best practice for cord blood transplant. This accreditation programme makes use of a risk-solving approach that needs a meticulous evaluation by an AABB assessor to be on-site, examining the facility’s policies, processes and procedure to discover any possible marks of non-conformity. At the time of this accreditation process, the institutions gain from customized help rendered by a technical specialist at the AABB’s accreditation department. It is this specialist who in turn guides and assists the institutions and its team members on the accreditation process, giving answers to required queries and authenticating procedure followed and documents maintained. The verification process is strict, so that cord blood transplant taking place from the cord blood bank poses no health hazards and other discomforts.

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Do you know what the building blocks of our blood and immune system are? Stem cells. These stem cells have the potential to grow into different types of cells in order to repair cell damage in the associated tissues and organs. For this reason, stem cells are considered a major component in the modern regenerative medicine.

Stem cells are found in various parts of human body like bone marrow, blood, embryos, muscle, hair follicles, fetal tissue, baby teeth and fat. But not all stem cells can be used in clinical procedures. Umbilical cord blood is the richest source of stem cells that can be effectively used in therapeutic applications.

These stem cells are collected from the umbilical cord blood right after a baby is born. The cord blood is collected once the umbilical cord is clamped and cut. The blood is then processed to derive stem cells and preserved, so it remains intact for years. The process is completely safe and poses no harm to the mother and the new born.

After the cord blood stem cells are preserved successfully, the parents of the baby can use the stem cells, if the baby needs any transplant anytime in the future. Apart from that, if any of the family members needs a transplant, the family can easily claim the stored stem cell for the procedure.

Why Storing Cord Blood Should Be Considered?

Cord blood stem cells can treat more than 80 diseases and disorders. Once preserved, you can claim the stem cells for the treatment of any family members. Your elder child can also be treated with the stem cells of your younger child.

Moreover, stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood are immature. Like new born cells, they don’t know how to attack any foreign body. For this reason, using umbilical cord blood is always a safer option.

With umbilical cord blood, you don’t need to wait or look for a suitable matching donor. On the contrary, with bone marrow or peripheral blood, you need to wait for an unrelated matching donor. The reason being, cord blood stem cells are less likely to reject the transplant.

What Diseases and Disorders Can Be Treated With Umbilical Cord Blood?

Latest studies have shown that conditions like autism and cerebral palsy can be treated with cord blood stem cells. A 2017 study demonstrated that children with autism showed significant improvements in the first six months of the procedure. So, it’s proved that the symptoms of both these disorders can be treated with stem cells.

Studies showed that patients with cancer shows better results if they are treated with their own cord blood stem cells. Some study also show that umbilical cord blood stem cells work wonderfully on cancers that are not genetically derived.

Apart from cancer, there are other conditions like heart failure, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, stroke, diabetes that can be treated with umbilical cord blood. While the above-mentioned treatments are concerned, bone marrow is still the first choice for doctors and patients. The main reason is, in most of the cases umbilical cord blood is not preserved.

There have been hundreds of clinical trials and many have shown successful results. If you store your baby’s cord blood, you would be able to use them if situation demands.

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Doctors often recommend cord blood banking to expectant parents. And they have a number of reasons for doing so. First of all, if you have any family history of diseases, cord blood can offer you a safer future. Secondly, umbilical cord blood is the source of newborn stem cells, which are unique in many ways from the other type of stem cells. Apart from being able to differentiate into different types of cells, they have a lower risk of viral contamination and high proliferation ability. Moreover, once you store your child’s umbilical cord blood, the stem cells will be readily available to you in the future, whenever you may need them. There will be no dependency on finding a matched donor for the transplant.

If you are still thinking, here are some facts that will help you make an informed decision:

Cord blood can cure more than 80+ diseases and disorders:

Cord blood has opened a new getaway in personalized medicine. So far, cord blood stem cells have cured 80+ diseases including different types of cancer. And more than 35000 patients have recovered from their diseases with the help of cord blood stem cell transplant. Apart from various types of cancer, these stem cells can cure blood disorders, immune disorders and metabolic disorders.
Cord blood has the ability to regenerate and rebuild: It’s believed that cord blood stem cell therapy is a regenerative medicine, which is relatively new but has tremendous potential to repair damaged tissues and cells. For this reason, doctors and researchers consider this therapy as the next big thing in the future of medical science. Among all the sources of stem cells, umbilical cord blood is the richest source and has all the factors that are needed for a successful transplant.

Cord blood stem cells are ageless and are easily available once you store them:

Once these stem cells are preserved, processed and stored, they permanently retain their agelessness. Unlike other stem cells, umbilical cord blood stem cells are newborn, so they are less likely to attack the immune system of the patients. These stem cells remain in the condition for several years, so if you or any of your family members need them for any transplant, they will be instantly available. And you will not have to wait for an unrelated matching donor.

Several clinical trials are underway to find cure to new diseases:

Apart from those 80 diseases, mentioned earlier, several clinical studies are going on to see how impactful these stem cells are in treating diseases like hearing loss, heart conditions, Parkinson’s disease, autism, burn injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, lung problems, liver problems, bone injury, spinal cord injuries etc. Several trials have shown successful results already and it’s not a distant dream that scientists will be able to treat these diseases and disorders with umbilical stem cells.

So if you invest in storing your newborn’s umbilical cord blood now, it would not only save your child from future diseases, but also secure your family’s future and ensure your peace of mind. Decide wisely.

Sources:
https://www.babycenter.com/0_cord-blood-banking-what-it-is-why-consider-it_1362261.bc
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/banking-your-babys-cord-blood

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You might be thinking why Zika virus is a big deal for you, if you are an expectant mother?

Well, before that let’s just talk about what it is and how it spreads. Zika virus is mainly spread by mosquito bites and sexual transmission. The virus does not cause major harm to adults. But it greatly affects babies, if the mother contracts the virus during pregnancy.

So, coming back to the question, yes, Zika virus causes severe birth defects in newborn babies, born of Zika infected mothers. These babies develop microcephaly, a condition in which they are born with a significantly smaller brain, compared to other babies.

If all these have made you a bit worried and uncomfortable, here is some good news to make you feel a little safer. Cord blood banking! Yes, by securing a cord blood unit, you can be prepared for the future, no matter what.

However, here are some rules that pregnant parents should know about Zika infection and cord blood banking, if they are willing to donate their cord blood. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Cord Blood Association issued a guideline to protect cord blood units from potential Zika virus transmission on August 26, 2016. The guidelines are as mentioned below:

• The regulations are applicable to anyone who would collect and store blood components in private and public cord blood banks.
• All blood donations are recommended to be screened for the infection.
• If an expectant mother, willing to donate her baby’s cord blood unit, is found to be infected with Zika virus at any point of her pregnancy, her registration will be ineligible.
• She will be ineligible to donate her cord blood unit, if she stays in an active Zika cluster or travels to any such area during her pregnancy.
• If she had sex at any point of her pregnancy with a Zika infected male in the past six months, she will also be considered ineligible. The reason being, Zika virus can also be sexually transmitted.

Now you must be thinking, should you store your baby’s cord blood, if you are infected with Zika virus? The answer is yes. No matter if your baby is at risk of Zika virus or not, storing a cord blood unit will ensure a secure future. Moreover, all these guidelines and regulations stand for a fact that these stem cells are significantly rare. So, storing a cord blood unit and getting a bunch of life-saving stem cells is always a better option than having nothing in hand, when you need a transplant in the future. And just as mentioned earlier, Zika virus does not pose any major risk to male adults and non-pregnant women.

Cord blood banks take an extra screening process to check for Zika virus infection in order to eliminate any risk. After the screening process, if you are found to be at risk, your cord blood will still be collected and stored, so that any future illness of your family members can be treated. The processing and storing processes ensure that no cross contamination takes place.

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