Every year, thousands of patients in the U.S. facing life-threatening conditions that require stem cell transplants, such as sickle cell disease, leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma. Most of these individuals do not have family members who are suitable donors and must be matched to an unrelated donor. The majority of unrelated donors are adult bone marrow donors, but increasingly, many are newborn babies whose parents donated their cord blood at birth. Today, cord blood is the source for 40% of unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplants in pediatric patients and 10% in adults; more than 60,000 individuals have benefited from cord blood transplants since 1988. July is Cord Blood Awareness Month–read on to learn more about this life-saving resource.
Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. It is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells, which are currently used to treat or alleviate about 80 diseases, particularly lymphatic and hematopoietic conditions. Ongoing clinical research continues to expand the therapeutic possibilities of these cells in treating chronic, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases.
Collecting cord blood is safe and non-invasive, and donating cord blood to a public cord bank is free. Cord blood is collected immediately after the umbilical cord is clamped and cut and poses no health risks to the mother or baby. It can be banked in private or public cord banks. If it is banked in a private bank, only the child’s family may use it. Some families wish to use a private bank if they have a family history of health conditions that can be treated with stem cells or if they have a family member who needs a stem cell transplant. Parents who bank their child’s blood in a private cord blood bank typically pay collection, processing, and annual storage fees. Alternatively, if their hospital works with a public cord blood bank, parents may donate their child’s cord blood. Donating cord blood to a public bank is free in the United States. Publicly banked cord blood may be donated to someone who needs it or to medical research.
Unfortunately, in 95% of U.S. births, cord blood is not donated. In those cases, it and its therapeutic potential are discarded as medical waste. Impediments to donation include the need for advanced planning, maternal eligibility requirements, and a limited number of hospitals that collaborate with public cord banks. Moreover, although 60% of patients and providers report awareness of cord blood banking and its benefits, awareness is stratified among patients based on education and race, and many hospital staff members consider their knowledge of cord blood donation to be insufficient. Increasing awareness of the benefits of cord blood donation is important not only for increasing the supply of life-saving hematopoietic stem cells, but also for increasing the diversity of donors; “a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds increases the chances that minorities and people of mixed heritage can find a match.”
More information about the uses of cord blood and ongoing related research can be found on the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s website. Information about donating cord blood at Emory hospitals can be found here. A comprehensive list of other hospitals that collaborate with public cord banks can be found here.