Umbilical cord blood banking is basically preservation of the newborn stem cells found in the blood of umbilical cord and placenta. When a baby is delivered, even if the clamping of the umbilical cord is a bit delayed, still there is blood remaining which is rich in stem cells and has therapeutic value.
While stem cells present in the umbilical cord are not embryonic, they are more pristine than the stem cells found in adult humans. This is because umbilical cord stem cells are younger and have had less exposure to illness or environmental factors. The stem cells in the cord blood can be collected without causing any risk to the baby or mother.
Umbilical cord blood banking in India has become more popular and is used for therapy today in hospitals all over the world. There are various ongoing clinical trials that use the cord blood for both stem cell transplants and for emerging therapies in regenerative medicine.
Umbilical cord blood banking in India includes the whole process from collection through storage of newborn stem cells for future medical purposes. When there is a need for treatment, the cord blood bank will release the stem cells to your physician. However, there are various factors that need to be considered for choosing the right umbilical cord blood bank in India.
Factors to Consider While Choosing Cord Blood Bank in India
Experience
The number of cord blood units that have been released by bank for transplant speaks about the success of their ability to deliver viable stem cells when it matters. While most cord blood banks have only released a few hundred units for transplant or fewer, there are some banks that have released over 1,000 cord blood transplants. But what really matters is successful delivery for transplant; thus, it is vital to check the experience of the umbilical cord blood bank.
Inventory
Another sign that shows the success of a cord blood bank is the number of cord blood units it has successfully stored for clients. However, banks that have been around the longest tend to be the largest, therefore check for their inventory beforehand.
Insurance
One of the major concerns parents opting for cord blood preservation have is whether their baby’s stem cells will be viable for transplant if ever they need them. Umbilical cord blood banking in India may offer insurance programs that offer assistance to the parents when they need to use their cord blood. Some banks even give a financial guarantee on the ability of their cord blood to engraft.
Shipment
Live stem cells tend to degrade over time, especially when they’re exposed to extreme temperature conditions such as the cold of an airplane cargo hold or the heat of a loading dock in summer. Expecting parents should consider the materials & insulation that the cord blood bank uses for their collection & transportation kit. Thus, it is always best to choose a bank which provides a kit which is validated to maintain a stable temperature inside the kit regardless of the outside extremes.
Pricing
The cost of stem cell preservation is a major concern for new parents, mainly because it comes at a time when they’re facing various other new expenses. However, it is hard to put a price on the peace of mind knowing that you will be child protected in case of crucial needs, as it is hard to find a matching unit in the public banks and is especially uncertain for people of colour and mixed heritage. Fortunately, payment plans are there, which can bring down the cost of family banking to affordable monthly rates that are much lower than any family’s cell phone bill.
