From the moment we decided to go mainstream with treating illnesses and creating a centralized source of fixing donations, the world has seen a lot of change. As the world evolved and medicine also followed in its wake, several advancements were achieved, such as donating cord blood, giving us a chance to better life and tackle life-threatening illnesses.
The discovery of possibilities that the umbilical cord blood held, and how stem cell collection can be used and collected, hastened the progress. Since bone marrow transplant was already achieving all its possibilities, there was a need for another solution.
So how do people who hadn’t initially deposited their cord blood get access to this discovery? This article focuses on cord blood donation and how the public can benefit from this process.
What is Public Cord Blood Banking?
The public cord blood banking system is designed to allow people to donate healthy cord blood during childbirth to a public bank for free and allow the general populace to access life-saving stem cells.
The essence of the public umbilical cord blood banking is an initiative by the government to help make stem cell transplants a possibility without the need for exorbitant prices.
Since most private cord blood banks charge so much money for the deposit of these cord blood and only allow it to be used for private purposes, the public cord blood banks provide an alternate option.
The cord blood deposited at public cord blood banks is also available for medical research to develop this science.
1. Initiating the Public Cord Blood Bank Process
For those who want to donate blood to a public cord blood bank, the process isn’t one that is tiring or risky. It is a process that takes proper planning, as you are expected to consult with your midwife or doctor and inform them about your intended plan.
For most public banks, the procedure begins three months prior to the delivery date. Once you have your doctor and midwife onto the program, you can get across to your public cord blood bank.
These public banks generally have contacts with your hospital and hand the process over to your doctor and midwife, who would collect your baby’s cord blood and take a test. The test ensures that the cord blood attains the set standard and is useable for a suitable patient.
2. Privacy For Public Cord Blood Banking Donations
Most people undergoing public cord blood banking or stem cell collection at birth consider one significant factor, privacy.
Due to this, the public cord blood banks have set up a method that allows the donor identity to be protected in the public registry, as numbers are used to determine the cord blood unit.
3. Cost of Donating Cord Blood at a Public Cord Blood Bank
The cost of cord blood stored at private cord banks may have put off many people regarding this novel idea. However, better sensitization would allow more people to see that donation and storage of cord blood doesn’t have to cost so much.
Since public cord banks collect the blood for public use, there is no need for payment, unlike private cord blood banks, which can be expensive.
4. Does the Family Have Access to Blood Donated at Public Cord Blood Banks?
Since public cord blood banks are designed for general public use, a parent who decides to donate their child’s cord blood no longer holds the right to the deposits.
Public cord blood banks are free and aren’t meant for private storage, so members of the donor lose rights and cannot request a stem transplant. However, those who want to give their family access can consider private cord blood banking.
5. Cost of Receiving Cord Blood From a Public Cord Blood Bank
The cost of receiving cord blood from a public cord blood bank is zero because the cord blood you receive has been deposited at the bank for such use.
Since donating cord blood was done so for free, recipients of such donations are not required to pay any fee. This is a way to reduce the burden of funding stem cell transplants in those who need the transfusion.
6. What are the Risks Associated With Public Cord Blood Bank Recipient?
When receiving cord blood from a public cord blood bank, you can be assured that you are getting the best. This assurance is made because when stem cells are collected at birth, a test is being conducted to ascertain the cord blood poses no health risks to the recipient and eradicate the possibility of complications.
7. Locations of Public Cord Blood Banks
For those who want to donate cord blood from childbirth, after considering all the possibilities of the process, finding a public cord blood bank is the next step. For this case, getting an answer is easy because over 200 hospitals in the US collect and test cord blood.
You can find public cord banks in places like Seattle, Sacramento, Houston, and Detroit, among other places.
Now, those who require a transplant and need a public cord blood bank would only have access to 20 public cord blood banks in North America.
This number is expected to grow over the years as the acceptance of cord blood donation and transplant would soon become a norm.
8. Legalities of Publicly Donating Cord Blood
For most people who have decided on donating cord blood or receive cord blood donations, a fundamental issue is the legalities attached to the process.
Most people who are donating don’t usually have enough information on what it entails, how it is used, who uses it, and who has access but are most times convinced by the specialist who wants to propel their field.
Other times donors also don’t consider the legal aspect but are ready to put themselves through the risk to get a better chance at survival.
So, when considering donating cord blood publicly and receiving, it’s best to understand the legal aspect associated with the process.
The law varies from state to state, but all physicians are required to educate expectant parents on cord blood banking and follow the guideline laid down by the institute of medicine.
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