The Cord Blood Collection Process - Stem Cells without the Controversy

There are many types of stem cells: embryonic, adult, amniotic, and induced pluripotent. In essence, stem cells exist only to turn into other cells. The current controversy surrounding stem cell research is in regards to embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cell mass of an early-stage (fertilized) human embryo, which essentially results in the destruction of the fertilized human embryo- and hence, the controversy. The reason why embryonic stem cells have been used in recent scientific research over other types of stem cells is that embryonic stem cells have the potential to turn into

basically any other cell, whereas adult stem cells are limited to turning into the type of cell in which they are already located in the body.

There is hope, however, that this controversy does not need to exist. New technology is currently in development for banking cord blood from the attached umbilical cord in the placenta directly after the birth of a baby. Umbilical cord blood is rich with stem cells; you can get embryonic stem cells without destroying a fertilized human embryo.

The possibilities of the uses of umbilical cord stem cells are pretty much endless. Researchers believe that these stem cells can potentially treat cerebral palsy, brain trauma, type 1 diabetes, acquired hearing loss, and other hematopoietic and genetic disorders.

Stem cells are stored via private and public cord blood banks. Private cord blood banks store the stem cells on behalf of parents specifically for their child or children. Public cord blood banks store the stem cells on behalf of the public; parents can choose to donate their child’s umbilical stem cell, which will then go into a national stem cell registry data base.

Whether the stem cells are banked for private or public reasons, the cord blood collection process occurs at the time of childbirth. After the umbilical cord has been disconnected from the newborn, a syringe is injected through the umbilical cord into the placenta where the stem cells are then drained out and ultimately cryogenically frozen for up to twenty-one years.

There are a few drawbacks to saving these umbilical stem cells, however. It is quite costly to bank these stem cells – there is an initial fee in the thousands of dollars with a monthly storage fee thereafter. Also, there is only a 1 in 2,700 chance that a child will actually need his/her umbilical stem cells and as the child gets older, there is less of a chance, because there are not enough stem cells in the umbilical cord to treat an adult human. But that doesn’t mean others cannot use the stem cells – cord blood does not need to match as closely as bone marrow or other stem cells to be successfully donated.