Making The Choice: Donating or Preserving Your Baby’s Cord Blood

Cord blood is the blood left behind in the umbilical cord and the placenta after childbirth. The cord blood has red, and white blood cells, platelets, and plasma in it. Besides these, it has those special types of stem cells which are found in the bone marrow. These stem cells are unique, and they can mature and morph into other cell types. During a transplant, the cord blood stem cells are used to treat over 80 life-threatening diseases – blood cancers, sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, etc. 

Many expectant parents decide on cord blood banking, during their second and third trimesters, knowing the importance of cord blood stem cells. So, once the baby is delivered, you need to decide whether you want to donate the newborn stem cells or preserve the cord blood stem cells. In this case, you’d have to choose a public or private cord blood banking system. 

What Happens in the Case of Donation of the Newborn Stem Cells?

You may consider public cord blood banks as donation centres. In this case, you may have to give away the newborn baby’s stem cells to help someone else with their treatment, or for medical research. Since this is a donation process, it will cost you nothing. However, once you donate the cord blood stem cells, you give up on the rights and ownership of the stem cells.

What Happens When You Preserve the Newborn Stem Cells Privately? 

Privately storing the newborn baby’s stem cells means saving them for the family. In this case, you only need to pay a nominal price for everything from cord blood collection to preservation and dispensation and reap the benefits later on:

Cord Blood Collection Process is Safe and Painless

Once the baby is delivered – either vaginally or emergency C – section, the umbilical cord is cut and clamped just a few inches apart. The private cord blood bank takes the responsibility to collect the cord blood in a sterile needle and cord blood collection bag. The whole thing is then taken in a cord blood collection kit box to send it to the lab for testing, processing, and cord blood banking

Private Banks Should Have Accreditation

Accreditations are certificates that private cord blood banks get from authorised banks for their credibility, competency, operational efficiency, as well as quality management for processing and cryopreservation of cord blood. So, Asia’s largest network of private cord blood banks like Cordlife have AABB, College of American Pathologists (CAP), WHO, etc. accreditations. 

Processing Using State-of-the-art Technology

The cord blood processing technology used by Asia’s largest network of private cord blood banking – Cordlife is the most advanced and exclusive in India. Our FDA-approved AXP® II unit ensures recovery of up to 99.8% live and potent haematopoietic and progenitor stem cells from umbilical cord blood, setting us apart as the sole provider of these vital cells in the country. Selectively preserving the newborn stem cells ensures readiness for successful stem cell transplants during any medical emergency within the family. 

Stem Cell Banking Solution

The best private cord blood banks like Cordlife prepare the cord blood samples in a way that the quality does not deteriorate. Your baby’s cord blood sample units are mixed with cryoprotectants and stored in the vapour phase of liquid nitrogen in the cryogenic storage tanks to prevent the stem cells from being damaged. The stem cells are stored under -196°C for 21 years or more, potentially for a lifetime. Ultimately, your baby’s cord blood remains your family’s property until you choose to use it. 

Provides Financial Assistance During Stem Cell Transplant

To alleviate the financial strain of healthcare expenses for your family, the best private cord blood bank – Cordlife provides financial coverage of up to Rs. 25 lakhs for cord blood stem cell therapy. This assistance is supported by an international insurer, AIA, and applies to both approved treatments and clinical trials.

Therefore, to safeguard your baby’s health and your family’s health, from over 80 life-threatening diseases, you may choose premium private cord blood banking companies like Cordlife India which will take care of cord blood collection to cryopreservation.