Cord blood banking- not really the opening question/discussion but since it's come up a few times...
The "purpose" of cord blood banking isn't actually to keep the blood. It's the stem cells in the blood. These cells are sort of like free agents in that they are not specifically "purposed" when the babe is born... they can sort of float around and go wherever they are needed. However, after a very brief time in the body they find their niche and are no longer adaptable. They don't "prevent" or "treat" disease in a direct sense (and future treatments usually work better with a donor sample rather than the patient's own cord blood), instead they just fill in any gaps during a relatively short period following the birth. Though there are certainly members of the medical community who feel a babe is better off with their own "full dose" of cord blood!
Anyway, if the blood is properly stored, the stem cells remain flexible and they can be placed into someone else who is being treated for a specific set of diseases/medical conditions (generally immune or blood based disorders). Because the stem cells are still flexible, they can adapt themselves and "replace" the damaged or missing cells in the sick person.
The AAP has actually published statements saying that cord clamping should be delayed to make sure that the baby gets a full transfusion of placental blood and that a delay in clamping doesn't prevent cord blood collection. Of course they mean a delay of a few minutes, but it's certainly better than nothing and it's the sort of "official medical society" that should sound credible to the TV public. Too bad they don't seem to have gotten the message out to their members.
The "purpose" of cord blood banking isn't actually to keep the blood. It's the stem cells in the blood. These cells are sort of like free agents in that they are not specifically "purposed" when the babe is born... they can sort of float around and go wherever they are needed. However, after a very brief time in the body they find their niche and are no longer adaptable. They don't "prevent" or "treat" disease in a direct sense (and future treatments usually work better with a donor sample rather than the patient's own cord blood), instead they just fill in any gaps during a relatively short period following the birth. Though there are certainly members of the medical community who feel a babe is better off with their own "full dose" of cord blood!
Anyway, if the blood is properly stored, the stem cells remain flexible and they can be placed into someone else who is being treated for a specific set of diseases/medical conditions (generally immune or blood based disorders). Because the stem cells are still flexible, they can adapt themselves and "replace" the damaged or missing cells in the sick person.
The AAP has actually published statements saying that cord clamping should be delayed to make sure that the baby gets a full transfusion of placental blood and that a delay in clamping doesn't prevent cord blood collection. Of course they mean a delay of a few minutes, but it's certainly better than nothing and it's the sort of "official medical society" that should sound credible to the TV public. Too bad they don't seem to have gotten the message out to their members.
I knew better.
