Here’s the real shame:  a family decides to donate the cord blood stem cells at the birth of their child, however, the hospital at which she will deliver cannot accommodate the mom’s desire to donate that which will be discarded as trash.

Many hospitals are set up to collect cord blood, but many are not.  The hope is that this will change in the future, but today, in the case of Natalie Salama-Levy, her baby’s cord blood will be taken out with the garbage while a child awaits a match to fight disease. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8459919.stm

If you’re thinking of donating, please investigate hospitals in your area before commiting to a particular institution.

Today, blood cancers such as leukemia are treated with blood and bone marrow transplants which, as we know, are often difficult to match.

Some readers may have heard that umbilical cord blood is being tested against these diseases  because young stem cells often do not generate a reaction from the immune system.   Evenwhen not matched, therefore, they may be accepted by a patient’s system.

However, umbilical cord blood is ”far less rich in the stem cells needed to cure the cancer and so takes longer to establish itself in the patient – leaving the patient open to infection and death.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7010490/Blood-breakthrough-for-leukaemia-patients.html

Now a team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have come up with a way of  increasing the concentration of stem cells, enriching the blood in the laboratory, and transplanting cells that engraft more quickly. These cells replace the cancerous blood cells giving the patient the chance to produce more healthy cells and advance in the treatment process.

The naysayers of cord blood banking see only what can be done today;  each day more possibilities become apparent in the battle to fight these diseases.

We are hearing more and more about the experimental uses of cord blood stem cells to treat kids who’ve suffered from neonatal stroke resulting in cerebral palsy.  In fact, our own Baby John met these circumstances at birth, and had a transfusion of his own cord blood through a program at Duke University.  We’re reading about more kids following this path (read about Max http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/health&id=7218964) with success.

Now, there is news about the ongoing experiments that infuse cord blood stem cells to fight diseases like type-I diabetes.  According to a report on ABC, “…researchers believe stem cells in the blood slow the immune attack of diabetes so the pancreas destroys fewer insulin-producing cells. “  Any news is good news when you’re faced with the challenge of a life-altering disease.

 http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/health&id=7218964

Researchers believe stem cells in the blood slow the immune attack of diabetes so the pancreas destroys fewer insulin-producing cells.