Today, 95% of cord blood is discarded, even though cord blood and stem cells are essential for the safety of preserving human lives. There are several reasons to think about cord blood banking to protect your child’s future.
A child suffering from Fanconi’s anemia underwent the first stem cell transplant utilizing umbilical cord blood (CB) in 1988. UAE’s CB banking industry is growing quickly, partly because of encouraging developments in CBtransplantations.
The for-profit CB banks, which have undoubtedly under-informed but eager customers in Arab nations, are the most contentious.
According to research, there should be substantial incentives to increase the number of CB units gathered from and made available to people in Dubai. In this article, we shall discuss some important elements you must consider for blood banking in Dubai.
What Is Cord Blood Banking?
The first question that must be answered for the general public and expecting mothers in Dubai is what cord blood banking is.
Soon after birth, the newborn’s umbilical cord is cut to get cord blood. It has stem cells that may be utilized to treat various conditions and illnesses, including leukemia, lymphoma, anemia, immune system problems, neurological problems, and more.
More people can receive stem cells from cord blood than from bone marrow. In addition, unlike those in bone marrow, stem cells from cord blood are less likely to be rejected.
Compared to bone marrow, which has hazards and can be quite unpleasant for the donor, cord blood is simpler to get. If you save your baby’s cord blood, be cautious while choosing a cord blood bank.
How Does Cord Blood Banking Work?
To donate cord blood, you must decide before giving birth. The procedure may be carried out following both vaginal and cesarean deliveries and is entirely safe.
The cord blood will be taken from you at the hospital immediately after giving birth if you decide to bank it in a bag or vial frozen in liquid nitrogen.
The cord blood cells, which would usually be thrown away, can be collected with little harm to the mother or the child.
Successfully transplanted cord blood stem cells can be kept for more than ten years. However, because the quantity taken from an umbilical cord is often minimal, most transplants are only performed on children or young adults.
What Are Your Options For Storing Cord Blood?
When you decide to store your baby’s cord blood, you have two options to do so:
Public Cord Blood Banking
If a patient needs some, public cord blood banks store approved cord blood donations from healthy pregnancies. Furthermore, patients with uncommon genetic conditions are more likely to benefit from the process of cord blood transplantation.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association both firmly support public cord blood banking. Parents who wish to provide cord blood to a public bank must birth their child at a medical facility that allows donations.
Following strict quality assurance and FDA regulations, public banks only keep cord blood if it is sterile and has enough stem cells to be employed in treatment.
Private Cord Blood Banking
Parents can pay for a private cord blood banking service to save their baby’s cord blood for use by themselves or a family member in the future (such as a sibling).
The family “owns” the cord blood and may make the most crucial decisions regarding its application.
Private or family banks charge an annual storage fee to maintain autologous use of the cord blood or direct donation for a family member.
Blood stored in private banks must meet the same standards as in public ones. However, some private banks may preserve the cord blood without charging you if you have a family with an illness that may be treated with stem cells and potentially save lives.
Consider The Limitations
When planning to opt for cord blood banking, it is important to stay well informed regarding the process’s ups and downsides.
The general need for more knowledge about cord blood banking is its biggest drawback. In Dubai, there are more private cord blood banks than public ones, making the procedure more expensive for middle-class people.
Therefore, further study and comprehension are needed to enhance the procedure for conserving cord blood in banks so that anybody can utilize the characteristics in the future.
There may only sometimes be enough cord blood available. This may occur if the infant is premature or if the decision is made to postpone umbilical cord clamping. It may sometimes happen for no apparent cause.
Additionally, in an emergency during delivery, taking care of you and your child comes before taking cord blood.
