WHAT IS CORD BLOOD?
The placenta is an organ responsible for ensuring the exchange of nutrients and oxygen between the baby and the mother during pregnancy. The baby in the womb is connected to the placenta by the umbilical cord. The placenta completes its task immediately after birth and is expelled from the uterus.
Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord on the side of the placenta after the baby is born. It has nothing to do with the baby.
How is Cord Blood Taken?
Cord blood is taken from the placenta side of the umbilical cord that was cut after the baby is born. Immediately after the baby is born, the umbilical cord is tied, the baby is removed, and the blood in the cord attached to the placenta is collected into a sterile blood bag containing anticoagulant with the help of a special system. Approximately 60 - 120 milliliters of blood can be drawn. The collected blood is sent to the cord blood bank laboratory within 48 hours.
The collection of cord blood does not adversely affect the normal birth process and the baby in any way. Generally, the collection process is done by the doctor who gave birth at the time of delivery.
Cord blood and cord storage is a matter of preference. The collection and storage of these stem cells depends on the wishes of the families. In case of such a request, in cooperation with ONKIM, we carry out cord blood collection, preparation and storage in laboratory and storage areas with high standards.
Cord blood and umbilical cord taken after birth are stored in specially prepared closed areas, liquid nitrogen tanks and frozen at -196 0C after some laboratory procedures.
What are the Advantages of Stem Cells in Cord Blood?
1. Cord blood taken right after birth and stem cells in the umbilical cord are the cleanest and purest cells. They have the most valuable stem cells feature that can be taken and stored very easily, safely and painlessly.
2. Cord blood stem cells are very youngin comparison to other stem cell sources. The aging process of such cells are stopped when stored frozen.
3. Reproduction rates are higher than other adult stem cells.
4. When used for the person from whom the cord blood is taken, there is no tissue compatibility problem (HLA compatibility).
5. Cord blood collected from the baby is autologous, that is, not only for the person himself, but also for other members of the family. There is a greater chance of tissue numbness. This feature allows cord blood transplantation to be performed for family members and even relatives.
6. The stored cord blood stem cells can be put into use immediately, without any processing or waiting, if desired.
For what purpose is cord blood stored today?
There are blood-forming stem cells in the ordon blood. It is kept for use in case of some diseases, which are called childhood after birth and seen in the period up to about 12-13 years of age. Some of these diseases are:
• Blood Cancers called Leukemia
• A tumor called neuroblastoma that develops from the nervous system
• sickle cell anemia
• Mediterranean Anemia known as Thalassemia
• General Immune system failure
Is Cord Blood Storage Necessary?
Childbirth is the only chance for cord blood and umbilical cord to be stored.
Today, stem cell clinical research and application studies are carried out in hundreds of diseases. The most interesting of these are Type 1 Diabetes in childhood, heart diseases, hearing loss, blindness, brain damage, burns, jaw bone reconstruction, diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Rheumatic diseases and cancer in adults. In order for these studies to be used in treatment, they must be conducted with scientifically proven and accepted methods. It is expected that these studies will yield results in the coming decades. In such cases, besides the child blood taken from, his or her family, relatives and other people can also benefit.
You can find detailed lists of diseases on which stem cell therapy is performed and researched on this subject, from the links below:
http://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/diseases
http://stemcellfoundation.ca/en/toward-treatments
https://clinicaltrials.gov
Benefits of Cord Blood Storage
Finding blood and bone marrow with complete tissue compatibility in the event of a disease sometimes requires months of searching. However, if the child has his own cord blood, there will be no such waiting period because the tissue match is complete.
By storing the cord blood of the baby, there is a chance to reach him/her immediately if needed.
No parent wants their child to be sick. The future health of a child is the most sensitive issue for parents. With the storage of cord blood, there is a chance to repair the immune system in some important blood cancers, anemia, tumors and some diseases in which the immune system is insufficient, although they are fewer in numbers today. In addition, if stem cell research gives positive results, it will be possible to use it in many diseases in the coming years.