August 2011 Moms

Cord Blood Banking

Do you plan to do this? Why or why not?

Public or private?

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Re: Cord Blood Banking

  • We are doing this for our private use.  My mom had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and none of us were matches for her bone marrow transplant.  She ended up going on the national registry, went into remission, and had my little brother 2 years later - AND he's a perfect match for her.  His cord blood is saved if she/he/anyone else in the family ever needs it down the line. I would be extremely upset if our child ever needed it and we decided not to.

     It's expensive, but many companies have a monthly payment plan with no interest until you can pay it off. I just can't imagine our baby going through any horrible cancer or disease treatment at any age when we could've done something to either prevent or alleviate the problem. It's a small price to pay in comparison to your child's health. 

     But even if families decide they cannot afford it or if it's not for them, please consider donating publicly.  It is free most of the time and can save lives and a lot of heartache.

  • We're donating ours. My OB has the information for donating your cord blood, and we decided it was the best option for us.
                                       
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  • imageCatahoulaMom:
    We're donating ours. My OB has the information for donating your cord blood, and we decided it was the best option for us.
      Does donating mean you put it into the public program?

    Sorry I have so many questions, I have just never heard of this and I am trying to understand all of the options available. 

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  • Hey - I'm a physician who specializes in banking of blood and stem cells (including cord blood).  There is a lot of misinformation on this board.  I'm happy to answer any of your questions.  Please feel free to give me a list of them.

    There are essentially two options here - public donation or private banking.  Not every hospital participates in a public banking program, so you will need to ask your OB about this.  I can also look up your hospital for you if you would like.  These cords are banked for use by anyone.  If you need yours back and it is available, you can ask for yours back or have it saved.  Only about 30% of the cords obtained will meet criteria for banking.  These banks are regulated by the FDA, and have very strict guidelines to follow.

    If you bank your cord privately, it is saved for you. You decide who can use it.  Privately banked cords are rarely used for the same child from which it was obtained.  Cord blood transplants are most commonly used to treat childhood cancers and metabolic diseases.  The defect causing either of these is also present in the cord blood in most cases rendering the cord useless.  If you have a second child who develops one of these unfortunate diseases and is a match to your other child (25% chance), then the cord can be used for the second child.  However, most physicians prefer to obtain stem cells from the healthy child in other ways.  These methods provide better sources of stem cells for transplant.  Additionally, because private banking is a business, it is not regulated by the FDA and are not held to the same quality standards.  Often, cords that are functionally useless are stored at your expense without your notification.  I do not trust the quality of many of these and would be hesitant to use them.  

    I will not bank my DC's cord blood privately.  I am delivering at a hospital that participates in a public banking program.  The vast majority of my colleagues have done the same.   I hope this was helpful.  Please feel free to ask any additional questions. 

  • Im very interested in it just in case... I plan to ask about it at my next apt... My only reservation is that I've heard it's expensive... But on the same token if you needed it, it would be worth it...
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  • It's a personal decision and we are private banking.  It's an expensive thing you hope to never have to use but it's there just in case and no it can't be used for everything, but as long as you go into it knowing what it can and be can't used for and weigh what is right for you that is all that matters. 
  • batesaebatesae member
    Lurker from July... suzyq is correct in regards to FDA. There are a few private banks within my district and we have not inspected these facilities. The area of biologics is a heavily regulated industry so we usually visit blood banks and related firms on a regular basis.
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  • So I was thinking about donating, but my hospital is not on the list of the ones that participate in public banking.  Am I out of luck?
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  • For me, the benefits today (and to my child) of delayed cord clamping far outweigh the *very slim and only potential* benefits of privatley banking cord blood for the future.  I realize you can sometimes do both, but I'd honestly rather have as much of that cord blood go into baby right at birth than taken or saved for any reason.  I don't think the benefits outweigh the exhorbitant costs.  I would be happy to donate publicly what is left if that were an option, but I've heard it is often difficult to find all the resources to do so.  Also, I'd have to look into how the cord blood sampling is taken, etc as we will be taking the placenta home with us.
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  • imagesuzyq813:

    Hey - I'm a physician who specializes in banking of blood and stem cells (including cord blood).  There is a lot of misinformation on this board.  I'm happy to answer any of your questions.  Please feel free to give me a list of them.

    There are essentially two options here - public donation or private banking.  Not every hospital participates in a public banking program, so you will need to ask your OB about this.  I can also look up your hospital for you if you would like.  These cords are banked for use by anyone.  If you need yours back and it is available, you can ask for yours back or have it saved.  Only about 30% of the cords obtained will meet criteria for banking.  These banks are regulated by the FDA, and have very strict guidelines to follow.

    If you bank your cord privately, it is saved for you. You decide who can use it.  Privately banked cords are rarely used for the same child from which it was obtained.  Cord blood transplants are most commonly used to treat childhood cancers and metabolic diseases.  The defect causing either of these is also present in the cord blood in most cases rendering the cord useless.  If you have a second child who develops one of these unfortunate diseases and is a match to your other child (25% chance), then the cord can be used for the second child.  However, most physicians prefer to obtain stem cells from the healthy child in other ways.  These methods provide better sources of stem cells for transplant.  Additionally, because private banking is a business, it is not regulated by the FDA and are not held to the same quality standards.  Often, cords that are functionally useless are stored at your expense without your notification.  I do not trust the quality of many of these and would be hesitant to use them.  

    I will not bank my DC's cord blood privately.  I am delivering at a hospital that participates in a public banking program.  The vast majority of my colleagues have done the same.   I hope this was helpful.  Please feel free to ask any additional questions. 

    Interesting perspective,  Thanks. 

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  • suzyq813, I just wanted to say thank you for such a detailed answer.  I have been trying to research this subject in order to make my decision on whether to privately or publically bank and I found this really helpful.
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  • imageStefandTodd:
    For me, the benefits today (and to my child) of delayed cord clamping far outweigh the *very slim and only potential* benefits of privatley banking cord blood for the future.  I realize you can sometimes do both, but I'd honestly rather have as much of that cord blood go into baby right at birth than taken or saved for any reason.  I don't think the benefits outweigh the exhorbitant costs.  I would be happy to donate publicly what is left if that were an option, but I've heard it is often difficult to find all the resources to do so.  Also, I'd have to look into how the cord blood sampling is taken, etc as we will be taking the placenta home with us.

    I wasn't aware there were risks involved in doing it.  Do you have any more information on this?

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  • We decided to donate our DD's cord blood and we'll do the same for this one.  The cost of maintaining private cord blood banking is too much for us.
  • imageThemetastic:

    imageStefandTodd:
    For me, the benefits today (and to my child) of delayed cord clamping far outweigh the *very slim and only potential* benefits of privatley banking cord blood for the future.  I realize you can sometimes do both, but I'd honestly rather have as much of that cord blood go into baby right at birth than taken or saved for any reason.  I don't think the benefits outweigh the exhorbitant costs.  I would be happy to donate publicly what is left if that were an option, but I've heard it is often difficult to find all the resources to do so.  Also, I'd have to look into how the cord blood sampling is taken, etc as we will be taking the placenta home with us.

    I wasn't aware there were risks involved in doing it.  Do you have any more information on this?

    I can't see where I said there was any risk?  What do you mean?
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  • we have not decided yet....all i know is the lady from the core blood place calls my house every other day and is driving me nuts
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  • Unfortunately, if your hospital does not participate in a public program, there really are no options for you.  There is one public cord banking program that I have heard of that will take cords from these hospitals, but only if you would have a rare type.  Your child would need to be either of mixed race or a very underrepresented race in the cord banking programs.  I can find the information on this for you if you need it.

     For those considering delayed cord clamping, you are essentially giving your child a blood transfusion.  This great for some babies, but harmful for others.  It can lead to complications due to increased blood counts, high viscosity, and volume overload.  It is important that you discuss this with your doctor as each situation and child is very different.  If you do delayed cord clamping, the quantity of cord blood left for banking will be insufficient.  It will be useless for transplant purposes as the number of cells will be too low.  This is a risk benefit analysis that you and your doctor need to make with your child's health in mind.  If you decide to do the delayed cord clamping and private banking, the company may not tell you that they are storing an insufficient quantity of cells.  Many companies will continue to take your money to store a cord that will be functionally useless.  A public bank will use the remaining cells for research purposes.     

  • imageStefandTodd:
    imageThemetastic:

    imageStefandTodd:
    For me, the benefits today (and to my child) of delayed cord clamping far outweigh the *very slim and only potential* benefits of privatley banking cord blood for the future.  I realize you can sometimes do both, but I'd honestly rather have as much of that cord blood go into baby right at birth than taken or saved for any reason.  I don't think the benefits outweigh the exhorbitant costs.  I would be happy to donate publicly what is left if that were an option, but I've heard it is often difficult to find all the resources to do so.  Also, I'd have to look into how the cord blood sampling is taken, etc as we will be taking the placenta home with us.

    I wasn't aware there were risks involved in doing it.  Do you have any more information on this?

    I can't see where I said there was any risk?  What do you mean?

    Sorry, I misread it.. I guess I don't mean risks.. but.. you say you want all that blood to go to baby.  I guess I thought there was enough and they just throw it away anyway?  Is there a reason baby needs all that blood?

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  • imagesuzyq813:

    Unfortunately, if your hospital does not participate in a public program, there really are no options for you.  There is one public cord banking program that I have heard of that will take cords from these hospitals, but only if you would have a rare type.  Your child would need to be either of mixed race or a very underrepresented race in the cord banking programs.  I can find the information on this for you if you need it.

     For those considering delayed cord clamping, you are essentially giving your child a blood transfusion.  This great for some babies, but harmful for others.  It can lead to complications due to increased blood counts, high viscosity, and volume overload.  It is important that you discuss this with your doctor as each situation and child is very different.  If you do delayed cord clamping, the quantity of cord blood left for banking will be insufficient.  It will be useless for transplant purposes as the number of cells will be too low.  This is a risk benefit analysis that you and your doctor need to make with your child's health in mind.  If you decide to do the delayed cord clamping and private banking, the company may not tell you that they are storing an insufficient quantity of cells.  Many companies will continue to take your money to store a cord that will be functionally useless.  A public bank will use the remaining cells for research purposes.     

    Delayed (until the cord has stopped pulsing) cord clamping is standard practice in my hospital for delivery with midwives, and is WIDELY encouraged by my OB, my MW, my Bradley instructor...in fact, I've never heard of a single negative of it.  Do you have any links to medical evidence that this is the case?  And are you sure you're not talking about cord milking?  Cord milking is totally outdated and never done anymore b/c it did cause complications, but it is the only thing I can think you might possibly mean when you say something like "volume overload"...?!
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  • imageThemetastic:
    imageStefandTodd:
    imageThemetastic:

    imageStefandTodd:
    For me, the benefits today (and to my child) of delayed cord clamping far outweigh the *very slim and only potential* benefits of privatley banking cord blood for the future.  I realize you can sometimes do both, but I'd honestly rather have as much of that cord blood go into baby right at birth than taken or saved for any reason.  I don't think the benefits outweigh the exhorbitant costs.  I would be happy to donate publicly what is left if that were an option, but I've heard it is often difficult to find all the resources to do so.  Also, I'd have to look into how the cord blood sampling is taken, etc as we will be taking the placenta home with us.

    I wasn't aware there were risks involved in doing it.  Do you have any more information on this?

    I can't see where I said there was any risk?  What do you mean?

    Sorry, I misread it.. I guess I don't mean risks.. but.. you say you want all that blood to go to baby.  I guess I thought there was enough and they just throw it away anyway?  Is there a reason baby needs all that blood?

    There is often still some blood that can be banked/donated if you delay cord clamping until the cord stops pulsing...but it is (obviously) not as much, and potentially none (if it all does go to baby), hence why I said I'd be happy to donate what is left if it were an option.

    I would encourage you to talk to your doctor about the benefits of delayed cord clamping.  For me, it just makes absolute sense that while the cord is still pulsating, the baby be connected to it.  The placenta isn't just done working b/c the baby is born.  And all the great benefits of that cord blood that scientists are finding now?  I think it's actually more important that my baby get all those benefits from his/her own cord blood at birth than possibly in the future.

    You can find a slew of articles that discuss the benefits of delayed cord clamping online.  Here's one that resonates with me and my ideals: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070816193328.htm

    I mentioned this is my previous reply, but I have an OB and a MW, and the option to deliver with one or the other.  I will be delivering with the MW.  We had a "meet the midwives" seminar on Monday and all 11 MW with the practice said there is significant benefits to delayed cord clamping, and it is standard practice to leave the cord attached until it stops pulsing when delivering with the MW (so long as there isn't a medical reason to clamp earlier - like c-section, the need to suction for meconium, etc).  The PP talks about how it's individual whether it will benefit a baby to delay cord clamping...but how would your OB know that ahead of time about your baby?  It's always beneficial, IMO (and the opinion of my MW's), so it's what we'll be doing.  It doesn't mean 100% that you still can't bank/donate though.  HTH.

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  • Stef - thanks so much for the information! 
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  • Below is one article explaining that there are benefits and risks.  Each person should discuss this with your doctor.  It more often benefits preterm infants, and your doctor would know this at birth.  Moreover, some children have prenatal diagnoses of some condition where this might be beneficial/harmful.  Expert opinion is that the jury is still out as to whether or not this is beneficial.

    You can bank the blood that remains but only privately.  Only about 30% of publicly banked cords meet criteria for banking including sufficient cells (or volume) for transplant.  The other 70% are diverted to research labs.  If you wait to clamp the cord, in the VAST majority of cases, there will be an insufficient number of cells for transplantation.  Private companies will not tell you this.  This is an individual decision that needs to be discussed with your physician.  Furthermore, it depends on the health of your other children and potential risks for future children.  The benefits of cord banking have nothing to do with the immediate health of your child at delivery.  You are saving stem cells that can be used to replace the bone marrow (make red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, ...) of a child with some types of cancer, sickle cell anemia, metabolic diseases, ...

    Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Jul;112(1):177-8.

    Cochrane Update: Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping at birth of term infants on mother and baby outcomes.Neilson JP.SourceCochrane Pregnancy & Child Birth Group, Liverpool Women's Hospital, Liverpool, UK. jneilson@liverpool.ac.ukAbstractBACKGROUND:Policies for timing of cord clamping vary, with early cord clamping generally carried out in the first 60 seconds after birth, whereas later cord clamping usually involves clamping the umbilical cord greater than one minute after the birth or when cord pulsation has ceased.OBJECTIVES:To determine the effects of different policies of timing of cord clamping at delivery of the placenta on maternal and neonatal outcomes.SEARCH STRATEGY:We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Child Birth Group's Trials Register (December 2007).SELECTION CRITERIA:Randomized controlled trials comparing early and late cord clamping.DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:Two review authors independently assessed trial eligibility and quality and extracted data.MAIN RESULTS:

    We included 11 trials of 2,989 mothers and their babies. No significant differences between early and late cord clamping were seen for postpartum hemorrhage or severe postpartum hemorrhage in any of the five trials (2236 women) which measured this outcome (relative risk (RR) for postpartum hemorrhage 500 mls or more 1.22, 95% (CI) 0.96 to 1.55). For neonatal outcomes, our review showed both benefits and harms for late cord clamping. Following birth, there was a significant increase in infants needing phototherapy for jaundice (RR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.92; five trials of 1,762 infants) in the late compared with early clamping group. This was accompanied by significant increases in newborn hemoglobin levels in the late cord clamping group compared with early cord clamping (weighted mean difference 2.17 g/dL; 95% CI 0.28 to 4.06; three trials of 671 infants), although this effect did not persist past six months. Infant ferritin levels remained higher in the late clamping group than the early clamping group at six months. AUTHORS' CONCLUSION: One definition of active management includes directions to administer an uterotonic with birth of the anterior shoulder of the baby and to clamp the umbilical cord within 30-60 seconds of birth of the baby (which is not always feasible in practice). In this review delaying clamping of the cord for at least two to three minutes seems not to increase the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. In addition, late cord clamping can be advantageous for the infant by improving iron status which may be of clinical value particularly in infants where access to good nutrition is poor, although delaying clamping increases the risk of jaundice requiring phototherapy.

     


  • imagesuzyq813:

    Hey - I'm a physician who specializes in banking of blood and stem cells (including cord blood).  There is a lot of misinformation on this board.  I'm happy to answer any of your questions.  Please feel free to give me a list of them.

    There are essentially two options here - public donation or private banking.  Not every hospital participates in a public banking program, so you will need to ask your OB about this.  I can also look up your hospital for you if you would like.  These cords are banked for use by anyone.  If you need yours back and it is available, you can ask for yours back or have it saved.  Only about 30% of the cords obtained will meet criteria for banking.  These banks are regulated by the FDA, and have very strict guidelines to follow.

    If you bank your cord privately, it is saved for you. You decide who can use it.  Privately banked cords are rarely used for the same child from which it was obtained.  Cord blood transplants are most commonly used to treat childhood cancers and metabolic diseases.  The defect causing either of these is also present in the cord blood in most cases rendering the cord useless.  If you have a second child who develops one of these unfortunate diseases and is a match to your other child (25% chance), then the cord can be used for the second child.  However, most physicians prefer to obtain stem cells from the healthy child in other ways.  These methods provide better sources of stem cells for transplant.  Additionally, because private banking is a business, it is not regulated by the FDA and are not held to the same quality standards.  Often, cords that are functionally useless are stored at your expense without your notification.  I do not trust the quality of many of these and would be hesitant to use them.  

    I will not bank my DC's cord blood privately.  I am delivering at a hospital that participates in a public banking program.  The vast majority of my colleagues have done the same.   I hope this was helpful.  Please feel free to ask any additional questions. 

    YGPM Smile

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  • I  work for Americord Registry and we have better pricing for cord blood banking than our competitors. For  price comparison please see https://cordadvantage.com/product-comparison.html
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