What is cord blood? What are the roles of umbilical cord blood storage in infants?
Before the baby is born, many expectant mothers will face the problem of whether to store their baby's cord blood. Many people think that cord blood storage is equivalent to buying a major illness insurance. So what exactly is cord blood? What is the role of umbilical cord blood storage in babies? What is the storage process for cord blood?
What is cord blood? What does it do?
Cord blood is the blood left in the placenta and umbilical cord after the fetus is delivered, the umbilical cord is ligated and broken, because it is rich in stem cells at the age of 0, which is the main source of blood and immune system manufactured by the human body, which can replace bone marrow transplantation, so it is extremely precious.
In recent years, studies have found that umbilical cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells that can rebuild the human hematopoietic and immune systems, which can be used for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat a variety of diseases, such as hematologic malignant tumors, such as leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, etc., hemoglobinopathies, such as marine anemia, bone marrow hematopoietic failure, such as aplastic anemia, congenital immunodeficiency diseases, etc.
After the umbilical cord blood collection and treatment of the normal fetus is generated, it is frozen in a liquid nitrogen tank, and when the baby is unfortunate to suffer from blood diseases during development and growth, and stem cell transplantation is required, the autologous umbilical cord blood can be adjusted for transplantation.
What is the process of cord blood storage?
Sign a custody agreement with the Cord Blood Bank to pay the cord blood collection fee, test fee, freezing fee and storage fee. Pregnant mothers notify the cord blood bank as soon as they are hospitalized, and inform the hospital, due date and bed number, leaving a contact number.
Within 36 hours of cord blood collection, cord blood is deposited. Cord blood is tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cytomegalovirus, treponema pallidum, HIV, bacteria and mold before being stored, and if there are any of the above problems, it will generally not be saved and all fees paid will be refunded.
What are the advantages of cord blood storage?
1. Cord blood is adaptable
The transplantation theory of cord blood is similar to bone marrow transplantation, but the cells from the bone marrow will threaten and attack the recipient because of their immune function, and the immune function of the stem cells contained in the umbilical cord blood has not yet been fully developed, so it will not produce immune rejection, so it is not stricter in finding the pairing of donors and recipients, and it is much easier to implement.
2. Cord blood is readily available
Cord blood is refrigerated at low temperatures at the time of birth and can be retrieved at any time.
3. Cord blood is easily obtained
Cord blood is easily obtained, as long as the blood in the umbilical cord and placenta is left behind after the mother gives birth, and then stored at a low temperature of nearly minus 200 degrees. When needed, its transplantation is similar to a blood transfusion, which is easier than bone marrow transplantation and does not cause any harm to the mother and baby.
4. Cord blood is pure and pollution-free
Cord blood has not been contaminated by radiation, drugs, germs, etc., and is very pure; And its stem cells have a stronger ability to differentiate and produce new cells than bone marrow.