|
 Cord
Blood Transplantation (3)
Collection and Preservation
Umbilical cord blood is collected at birth. It involves taking blood from
parts of the birth that are normally discarded. The doctor performing
the collection has all the materials necessary in the labor room. The
blood can be collected from the umbilical vein several ways:
The final container is labeled properly and taken to the lab for processing.
The blood is tested for several infectious diseases, including HIV and
hepatitis. And if not already done through amniocentesis or chorionic
villus sampling, the blood is HLA-typed. The blood is cryopreserved at
- 90 degrees Celsius, then stored in liquid nitrogen until needed. Whether
an adult can be successfully and sufficiently transplanted using umbilical
cord blood remains to be seen.
- The blood can be drained from the severed end of the cord during the
third stage of labor (an open system) into a sterile container with
an anticoagulant.
- The blood can be collected through venipuncture (a closed system)
and drained into an anticoagulated bag. A syringe is placed in a three-way
stopcock and used to suction if the blood does not flow naturally. Once
the blood does stop flowing, the cord can be gently "milked."
This is a preferred method because of the reduced risk of contamination.
- When the placenta is delivered, another 20-40 mL or more can be collected
from the lake at the root of the cord by gentle reverse milking of the
cord and multiple aspirations of the engorged vessels on the fetal surface.
- Cord blood can also be collected after the separation of the placenta.
The placenta is suspended from a specially-designed stand with the cord
and fetal material hanging down. Gravity drains the blood into a container.
What is cord blood stored and used for?
Cord blood is a rich source of stem cells, the same cells found in bone
marrow. Stem cells are the parent cells which create all of a person's
blood cells: red cells that carry oxygen, white cells that fight disease,
and platelets that help blood to clot. Stem cells can be used to treat
several life-threatening diseases which affect the blood system. Diseases
such as thalassemia, sickle cell anemia and childhood leukemia may require
stem cell transplantation to replace damaged, destroyed or improperly-functioning
blood cells. Transplanting these cells offers hope to many patients.
Why should I save my infant's cord blood?
Having cord blood collected gives the family a chance to store the cord
blood for potential future use. This is an important consideration,
especially since cord blood units may be used in the absence of a perfect
tissue match (called a human leukocyte antigen or HLA match). Therefore,
the use of cord blood can provide a unique opportunity for a particular
child, especially when the child's sibling is not a complete match.
Having cord blood collected from a family member does not mean that
a decision has been made to proceed with transplantation. It simply
gives the family a chance to store cord blood for potential use.
Studies have also shown that there is a lower incidence of graft vs. host
disease (GVHD) with cord blood transplants, probably due to the immaturity
of the fetal cells. GVHD can range from moderate to severe in a transplant
recipient, and can involve the skin, liver and/or gastrointestinal tract.
<next>
<page 1> <page
2> <page 3> <page 4>
|
