Since it was first discovered in the late 1980s, cord blood stem cell therapy has begun to revolutionize medical science. Scientists have come to realize the medicinal value of what the umbilical cord holds, and through medical research in this area we may be well on our way to solving some of the most complex diseases known to man.
Obtaining the sacred cells:
The first and only painful part of obtaining these cells is one every birthing mother has to face: labor and delivery. After that, reaping the rewards from the placenta (or afterbirth) comes easily as long as you have a highly qualified medical staff on hand.
There are two ways in which the cord blood can be obtained for stem cell therapy use after the umbilical cord is clipped. The first: a long needle is inserted into one or more of the blood vessels in the remaining length of the umbilical cord that is attached to the placenta. The blood is then drained with syringe into a blood storage bag. The second method: the placenta is placed high on a shelf, allowing the blood to drain through the umbilical cord into a bag. It is crucial that whichever of these procedures you have chosen take place within five to ten minutes after the baby is born. If this window of time is allowed to elapse the blood begins to clot. Once it clots it is useless.
How do we know how useful this blood is and how many stem cells are present?
More blood collected means more stem cells present. The most helpful cells contained in the blood are called CD 34+. CD 34+ cells hold the best capability of growing in another person and repopulating, boosting the host’s immune system. As these cells grow and repopulate they form all the components of blood in the blood stream: white infection-fighting cells, red oxygen-carrying cells, and clot-promoting platelets. Doctors can test for the amount of CD 34+ cells present through lab tests.
Other lab tests are done before the blood may be used, in order to make sure that there are no viruses or infectious materials present in the blood. All of these tests are federally mandated and the results are cataloged and stored for that particular specimen.
Sex and tissue typing tests can be performed before storage. Neither test is routinely done, so opting for one of them will increase your cost. An alternative to performing these tests is to request that a few small vials of the blood be saved for the purpose of testing at a later date.
Cord blood stem cell therapy offers you the chance to provide a miracle for yourself or another. Already doctors have been using these cells to help cure or treat people who are stricken with various incurable and debilitating diseases. Some examples of diseases in which stem cell therapy can greatly benefit the victim include sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and heart disease.
Research studies using cord blood stem cells have demonstrated that they may also hold the key to finding a cure to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Diabetes.
By Deborah Smith-Lawson