For most of human history, the umbilical cord has served as
an appendage that immediately lost its usefulness at the point of birth. While
the fetus is still in the womb, the cord is an essential pathway for carrying
nutrients from the mother to the baby. As soon as the child emerges into the
world, however, the cord is simply an unnecessary tether that could immediately
be cut and discarded. Hospitals and midwives have done just that for centuries.
But recent scientific research has found that the umbilical
cord is full of undifferentiated stem cells that could potentially be used for
bone marrow transplants. Once discardable at the time of a baby’s first breath,
the cord (or, more specifically, the cord’s blood) can now spur the growth of
new cells in that child fifty years into the future.
It is this possibility that has led to the growth of a new
industry of umbilical cord banks. Some banks serve as public storage centers
that promise to match a donor with the same type of blood they donated should
that become necessary. Private banks, on the other hand, preserve a person’s
individual deposit and do not share it with anyone else.
The benefits of cord blood banking are numerous – both by a
measure of today’s technology and by an estimation of likely medical
breakthroughs in the future. Simply put, umbilical cord blood saves lives: its stem cells can replace
bone marrow destroyed by leukemia; it can treat anemia, lymphoma, and other
common diseases; and it can potentially be used to repair damaged nervous
systems, spines, and brains as a result of injury.
These benefits don’t just apply to the child that donates
the umbilical cord. If a newborn has an older brother or sister with a genetic
disease, for example, their cord blood can be immediately used in treatment of
that ailment. Although most people don’t realize its benefits for years or
decades, this goes to show that umbilical stem cells can have practical and
immediate value. Expectant parents with a history of hereditary disease in
their families are therefore encouraged to explore blood cord banking. People
of minority and mixed descent are encouraged as well because they are less
likely to find an appropriate match should they turn to a public bank down the
road.
But for those of us who don’t have high-risk families or
minority backgrounds, cord blood donation can still be beneficial simply by
virtue of its long-term possibilities. A child born today will conceivably live
to see the 22nd century. In those intervening 88 years we can
certainly expect some tremendous medical achievements and breakthroughs –
breakthroughs that could very well find new uses for stem cells and new
procedures to make such uses possible. Blood cord storage gives our child a
chance to reap benefits from these conceivable advancements.
While the decision to store the stem cells from a newborn’s
umbilical cord is ultimately a personal one, let’s not forget that this process
can confer payoffs more practical than emotional peace of mind. We never want
to think that our new son or daughter may someday require stem cell treatment,
but, should that day ever arrive, it’s always good to know that your family
will be prepared.