2.  Even though the concept has been around for a
while, the topic of cord blood banking has been given
quite a lot of press in recent years.
 It isn’t too difficult to find people on both sides of the
moral fence when it comes to banking cord blood.
 Regardless of your personal philosophy, cord blood is a
fascinating product of the human body and cord blood
banking isn’t likely to go away anytime soon.

3.  Basically, cord blood is the blood that
remains in the section of umbilical cord
that’s still attached to the placenta after the
cord is cut.
 This blood is known as placental blood or
umbilical cord blood, but is usually
shortened to just ‘cord blood’.
 The blood that is left in the umbilical cord is
no longer needed by the baby, but it still
contains the red and white blood
cells, platelets and plasma of regular blood.

4.  Something else it contains that isn’t found in everyday
blood are hematopoietic stem cells like those found in
bone marrow.
 The fact that cord blood shares this similarity with bone
marrow is why it is used as an alternative to bone
marrow during transplantation.
 In fact, cord blood is being used in more and more
procedures, which is why more and more people are
deciding to bank it once the baby is born.

5.  The cord blood banking process requires skill
and precision, but it isn’t overly complex for
the technicians who pull it off on a regular
basis. An opportunity for cord blood banking
occurs virtually every time a baby is born.
 Once the baby is born, the umbilical cord is
cut and then it is cleaned. Then, a needle is
inserted into the umbilical vein in a handful of
different locations.
 Blood is drawn from the vein and collected in
a sterile collection bag. Then, the bag is
packed in thermal wrappers that are
designed to maintain room temperature and
the cord blood is sent off to the laboratory.

6.  The ‘why’ of the cord blood banking process becomes clearer and clearer with each
passing year. Essentially, cord blood stem cells help in the treatment of many different
conditions and diseases.
 Unlike embryonic stem cells, there is no real moral issue with collecting cord
blood, because the baby is already born and the blood is just going to be disposed of.
 Cord blood is easy to collect and it poses no risk to either the mother or the child.
When cord blood is collected, the stem cells are frozen and they can be accessed
quickly if and when they are needed. Cord blood stem cells actually have several
advantages over bone marrow for transplantation.
 Cord blood stem cells are capable of producing all of the cell types in the body.
 Cord blood can be banked for future use with family members or donated to a public bank for
treatments with strangers.
 Research shows cord blood stem cells may eventually help in the treatment of stroke, heart
disease, diabetes and cerebral palsy.
 In a bone marrow transplant, exact human leukocyte antigens (HLA) match is required between
donor and recipient, but an exact match isn’t necessary with cord blood stem cells.

7.  Cord blood that is banked and stored for
future use, may end up helping with any
number of different bone marrow diseases.
 The list includes cancers such as
leukemia, sickle cell anemia, Krabbe’s
disease and acquired bone marrow failure
from radiation or chemotherapy treatment.
 The list of treatments for banked cord
blood is sure to grow, as will the reasons to
take this simple step when your baby is
born.

8.  The cord blood phenomenon hasn’t been known for an
overly long time, but it isn’t brand new, either.
 The first report on human umbilical cord blood stem cells
came out back in 1974.
 In 1980, researchers first noticed similarities between
cord blood and bone marrow.
 In 1982, it was confirmed that hematopoietic stem cells
suitable for transplant were present in cord blood.

9.  The first successful cord blood transplant was carried out in France in
1988, and the first public cord blood bank was established in New York
in 1992.
 In 1995, the first family cord blood bank opened in the US, and in
1997, Cells for Life opened in Ontario as one of Canada’s first.
 In 1998 the first successful cord blood transplant to cure sickle cell
anemia was performed.
 By 2005, thousands of successful cord blood stem cell transplants had
been performed around the world, and by 2007, over 70 different
ailments and diseases were being treated with cord blood.

10.  Like with any newer technologies or processes, certain myths and truths exist
when it comes to cord blood banking. Some people believe that smaller cord
blood samples aren’t worth saving, but that simply isn’t true.
 When a transplant is required, doctors actually calculate the exact number of
stem cells required to treat the patient, based on the patient’s weight.
 Smaller samples are suitable for smaller patients, and certain forms of
leukemia tend to affect patients six and under more often.
 If you plan on donating your child’s cord blood to a public bank in the hope of
getting it back later, you may be disappointed. Most of the samples sent to
public banks don’t meet public banking requirements and are used for
research. If you send the blood to a public bank, the likelihood of it being
there if you need it later on is low.

11.  In Canada, most people don’t have access to public cord blood
banking.
 There are only three public cord blood banks in the entire country, and
government funding is needed to see that number grow.
 Currently, there is one in Alberta, one in Quebec and one in the
Greater Toronto Area. Canada is in the top 10 worldwide when it
comes to using cord blood samples, but has one of the smallest
inventories.
 Cells for Life will continue to support the Victoria Angel Registry of
Hope public bank in Toronto, and offer world-class storage in all of its
locations for families who wish to bank this precious resource.