8 Facts & Benefits of Cord Blood and Perinatal Tissue Banking

As an expectant parent, you have a lot of things to think about and prepare for in the coming months. One thing you may not have considered is cord blood and perinatal tissue banking. 

Cord blood and perinatal tissue contain valuable stem cells that can be used to treat a variety of diseases and conditions. Here are eight facts and benefits of cord blood and perinatal tissue banking that may help you decide if it’s right for you:

1. You can bank your baby’s cord blood even with delayed umbilical cord clamping.
2. Your baby’s banked cord blood can potentially be used to treat their siblings, mom, dad, or grandparents.
3. Your baby’s cord blood can be potentially used up to 5 times with Americord.
4. Americord’s CryoMaxx™ Cord Blood Processing maximizes results for storage.
5. Cord Blood contains Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs).
6. Cord & placental tissue contains Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs).
7. Perinatal tissue processing can vary – and there are some huge differences!
8. There are unique benefits to banking all three: cord blood, cord tissue & placental

Yes! You can do delayed cord clamping clamping and still bank your baby’s cord blood. There is approximately 200 milliliters (mL) of blood in the placenta and umbilical cord.  A minimum of 50 mL is needed for cord blood storage. “The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends a delay in umbilical cord clamping in vigorous term and preterm infants for at least 30–60 seconds after birth.” This transfers about 80-100 mL of blood into the baby. This leaves an ample amount of blood left to allow for cord blood collection.

We are genetically closest to our siblings. That’s because we inherit half of our DNA from our mother and half from our father, so the genes we inherit are based on a chance combination from our parents. This is why a sibling’s cord blood stem cells offer a higher potential for a genetic match. Based on the way parents pass on genes, there is a 25 percent chance that two siblings will be a whole match, a 50 percent chance they will be a half match and a 25 percent chance that they will not be a match at all. 

Americord has always been a pioneer in the cord blood banking industry. Americord’s proprietary 5-Compartment Storage Bag allows up to 5 different cord blood stem cell treatments. Industry-standard freezing bags typically contain just two compartments, meaning less opportunities to utilize the stem cells should your baby or family ever need them.

Americord’s CryoMaxx™ processing method unlocks the full potential of umbilical cord blood and perinatal tissues. This unique processing method uses manual processing for cord blood stem cells and minimal manipulation methods for perinatal tissues to maximize stem cell usage and utility, giving families more options for more treatments.

When you bank your baby’s cord blood, hematopoietic stem cells are collected. These stem cells can become any type of blood cell. Cord blood hematopoietic stem cell transplants are FDA-approved to treat patients with more than 80 diseases, including:

• Severe aplastic anemia
• Sickle Cell disease
• Cancers such as leukemia or lymphoma
• Blood and immune disorders
• Certain inherited metabolic disorder
• And many more

When you bank your baby’s cord tissue and placental tissue, mesenchymal stem cells are collected.  Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into many different types of cells within the body, including: bone cells, cartilage, muscle cells, neural cells, and skin cells.

Trials have shown that cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells transplants have potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive responses and can increase the body’s ability to naturally heal itself.There have been a number of studies showing cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells are a viable treatment option for a number of autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Parkinson’s, Crohn’s disease, and more.

Americord’s unique proprietary CryoMaxx™ Placental Tissue Processing method uses a minimal manipulation method to isolate the amnion and chorion layers of the placental tissue and retain their inherent multipotent cells, growth factors, and cytokines. 

Many blood banks focus only on the MSCs and pre-process them prior to cryopreservation. This limits not only the full potential of what umbilical cord tissue can be used for, but also future treatment options.

The amnion and chorion are cryopreserved and stored in multiple vials, ensuring the potential for multiple uses for your baby, siblings, parents, or grandparents. This processing method creates a versatile tissue and gives families the flexibility to use:

• Amniotic epithelial cells, amniotic mesenchymal stem cells, and chorion trophoblast stem cells for therapeutic applications.
• Amniotic tissue (amnion + chorion) containing multi-potent cells, growth factors, and cytokines for wound and ocular applications.

With Americord’s CryoMaxx™ Cord Tissue Processing it enables the cord tissue to retain its inherent multipotent cells, growth factors, and cytokines. The cord tissue is cryopreserved and stored in multiple vials, which ensures the potential for multiple uses or applications.

The cryopreserved cord tissue can be used as a:

• Membrane containing living cells and bioactive factors for surgical applications or
• Processed in the future, using the latest cell isolation techniques.

There have been significant advances in bringing perinatal stem cells and tissues from basic science research, to clinical research, to approved treatments. Even with these advances, there is still a lot of untapped potential for the use of perinatal tissues. In fact, it is estimated that 1 in 3 individuals in the United States could benefit from regenerative medicine over their lifetime.

So, what’s the verdict? Is it worth banking your baby’s cord blood and perinatal tissue? Yes! 

Cord blood and perinatal tissue contain valuable stem cells that could be used to treat a variety of conditions in both your child and other family members. And when you bank with Americord, you get access to our world-class storage facilities as well as CryoMaxx™ processing. Signing up is easy – just visit this page or call one of our friendly Stem Cell Consultants today: 866-503-6005. You can rest assured knowing that you have made a decision that could benefit your entire family for years to come.

The views, statements, and pricing expressed are deemed reliable as of the published date. Articles may not reflect current pricing, offerings, or recent innovations.