Baby & Pregnancy Cord Blood Banking
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CORD BLOOD BANKING
Since the urban legend of Walt Disney’s cryonic suspension people have been preoccupied with the “future proofing” of human beings. The latest development in this area is umbilical cord blood banking. After birth, blood from the cord is extracted and stored to extract stem cells from later. Although there has been a program of volunteers giving cord blood to the National Blood Service in effect since 1996, the arrival of commercial “family” cord blood banking in the UK is a relatively new phenomenon.
Initially companies in the U.S offered this service. It has now crossed the Atlantic and there are numerous ads on the web and in magazines. Some companies even work with the blessing of some N.H.S trusts (no doubt due to patients demand). Some organisations use emotive advertising that concerned “parents to be” may find hard to resist. Claims of this kind of service being akin to a frozen second immune system rely to a great degree on projections and research not yet done.Likelihood of use Of Cord Blood
Certain at risk children have their own cord blood stored on doctors recommendation. The supplies collected by the National Blood Service can help to combat diseases such as leukaemia in a similar way to how bone marrow does.
Estimates vary as to the likelihood of any stored blood being needed for stem cells. Research in the U.S Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (1997) stated the odds to be 1:2700 that a child would need to use their own stem cells for current treatments by the age of 21. The odds for a family member needing them were quoted as 1:1400. More recently figures of 1in10-20,000 have been quoted.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in a scientific paper from 2001 felt that the likelihood any privately stored blood ever being used was extremely low.
The research into the uses of stem cells is still at an early stage.Are there Dangers in Cord Blood Banking ?
One thing that many experts agree on is that nothing should interfere with the third stage of labour. It is at this time (before the placenta is delivered) that blood is still being given to the baby. Also the midwife is quite active caring for the mother and child. It is probably best not to interrupt those duties with the further responsibility of extracting blood from the umbilical cord. Unlike the National Blood Service extractions, some private companies’ policy is to take the blood at this vital third stage. Anyone considering banking cord blood needs to find out if any prospective company uses this method and consider an alternative. If in doubt, consult with a doctor.Cost Of Cord Blood Banking
Costs for this service have been quoted as being as high as £1500. Whether this takes into account any extra costs for long term storage is unclear. It may be unwise for people with reduced means to have to struggle to afford this service as it could mean it was at the expense of something more practical. Please bear in mind the speculative nature of such an undertaking and be aware that commercial companies have their own agenda.Topics associated/ Topics Covers by this artical: umbilical cord blood banking cord blood stem cell banking ,cord blood banking public ,cost of cord blood banking ,private cord blood banking ,umbilical cord blood banking advantages ,baby blood cord banking ,advantages of cord blood banking ,cord blood storage and banking
About Inner-Vision Ultrasound
Inner-Vision Ultrasound has been set up by a husband and wife team of healthcare professionals, Richard and Catherine Warriner. Richard trained as a sonographer at Leeds in 1996. He worked at Pinderfields hospital Wakefield, Queens Park Hospital Blackburn, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Liverpool Womens Hospital as a sonographer before joining General Elecctric as an ultrasound applications specialist. In this role Richard travelled throughout the north of England demonstrating and teaching the latest ultrasound techniques to sonographers and doctors in obstetrics and general ultrasound. It was with his time at GE healthcare that Richard was introduced to the Voluson 730. It is the class leader in 3d/4d technology and as such the only choice for Inner-Vision. Richard has lectured to ultrasound students at the universities of Liverpool, Leeds and Lancaster. Catherine is a Midwife, gaining her degree in Midwifery from Newcastle University in 1996. After working in the north east for a short while after qualification, Catherine returned home to Lancashire and has now worked at Queens Park hospital, Blackburn, for the last eight years. She has been a community midwife, worked in an antenatal clinic and has had extensive experience on the antenatal wards.
