What are the pros and cons of Cord Blood Banking?

What is the (Umbilical) Cord ?

The Umbilical Cord, or normally known as the Cord, is a Spiraled “tube-like” entity that connects the Placenta to the baby. Different babies have different lengths of the Cord. The inherent beauty and importance of nature is that there is a very scientific underlying reason why the Cord is of different lengths in different babies.

The primary function of the Cord is transport nutrients and waster products to and from the mother to the baby. One end of the Cord is connected to the wall of the Placenta (mothers side) and the other end (Baby) is connected to the baby’s navel. While the baby is in the mother’s womb, it does not breathe. All its requirements are fed by the placenta via the Cord.

As the baby grows, the Cord also undergoes changes, until it becomes “mature” at term, at which point, it carries Venus and Arterial blood to and fro, transporting oxygenated and de-oxygenated blood to the from and to the placenta. During contractions, as the uterus undergoes constriction and relaxation, so does the cord. This builds up pressure which forces blood into the baby. As contractions continue, and baby is born, the Cord still pulsates, which pushes out remaining blood into the baby. This pulsations can last till 30 mins, and gradually die down. At that time, almost all of the blood is pumped to the baby.

The importance of this blood is that it is packed with rich oxygen, red blood cells and other nutrients. So it is important that ALL of the placental blood is allowed to be transferred through the Cord to the baby.

When should the Cord be clamped?

Many hospitals clamp the Cord immediately after the baby’s birth, maybe allowing for 1 or 2 minutes. This is non-optimal. Clamping and cutting the Cord deprives the baby of rich and valuable blood which is typically 1/3 of the baby’s total blood volume at the time of birth. It deprives the baby of important immune giving substances. Allowing the FULL blood to be transferred before the Cord is clamped helps in maintaining stable blood pressure in the baby. The importance of this blood is that it is packed with rich oxygen, red blood cells and other nutrients. So it is important that ALL of the placental blood is allowed to be transferred through the Cord to the baby.

In nature too, we see some of the “higher” primates allow the placenta to be connected to the baby, till the time it falls off on its own. Even among old cultures we see the Cord is usually left intact till the placenta is delivered. Ancient wisdom believes that all life must be transferred from the “life giver” placenta to the baby and all the blood has drained from it. This age old wisdom, still practiced in many parts of India (and across indigenous cultures across the world) are only now finding newfound support among “modern” western scientific viewpoint that ALL of the placental blood must be transferred via the Cord before it is clamped and cut.

Typically, at The Sanctum, unless there is medical need to do so earlier, we wait till about 30 mins, or till the time the ENTIRE blood has been transferred to the baby from the placenta and the Cord stops pulsating, before we clamp and cut the Cord.

Cord Blood

What is Cord blood Banking?

Imagine that your baby is born with her full complement of blood – this is around 450 ml in an average 2.8 to 3.5 kg baby. She is nice and pink and beautifully vibrant.

The next day, you have someone coming in to check in on baby – and he says : “I would like to drain out 1/3rd of your baby’s blood”… “The baby is okay now, but she may have a slim chance of getting some disease in the future, and even a slimmer chance that the cells from this blood can cure it”.. “For this slimmest of chances, you have to pay me a big amount now, and then monthly amounts for years”…. ” Our company may or may not be around, and even if we are, we can only say that mostly the cells will be well-preserved – no guarantees”

“For now, your baby will be anemic and have less blood volume”. “But you must allow me to do this now, as you will never have a chance for it later”…..

Well. You probably would either laugh or scream this person out of your room, calling him all sorts of names! 😳😬

Yet, this is the exact basis of cord blood collection at birth and Cord Blood Banking! And it makes little sense!😅

Knowing that many parents are now educating themselves, we often hear cord blood companies offering to store 15% or 20% of the baby’s blood (not the full 30%).. The basis still remains the same. It is still your baby’s blood. It can either go to baby, or go into a bag – but not both, without compromising the value of one or the other!!

Cords continue to pulse anywhere between 3 to 20 mins. And, the best thing that you can do, if you wish for optimal transfer of blood to baby, is to wait for it to stop pulsing (we often ask the parents to feel the cord while it is pulsing – it is a surreal experience!) before clamping and cutting the cord!

Nature intended for your baby to have all that blood for a reason. Your baby is born with partially oxygenated blood at birth, and needs to transition to newborn circulation – and what better way to ensure that, than having additional red blood cells? What better way to keep oxygenation going, in case your baby needs a little extra time to regularise breathing at birth? What better way for her to fight off any nascent infections, than with additional white blood cells? And finally, what better way than to have a repository of stem cells in her own body, to utilize it for repairing any damaged cells, if and when the need arises?

Nature is smart. There is a reason that the cord is only so long – Baby should not be separated from her mother! And Nature has given your baby, the gift of her own blood to be preserved – not severed at birth.