Expectant parents who think of banking their baby’s stem cells are thinking ahead of time. By planning about cord blood banking much before the baby is born, you’re thinking of protecting their life from some of the life-threatening health conditions in the future, thus becoming a life-changing decision. While taking this decision, the cord blood banks play an important role. They carefully collect the cord blood at the time of birth and take the whole responsibility towards transportation and cryopreservation.
However, conscious expectant parents like you also think about whether the delay in cord-cutting, while delivering the baby can affect the cord blood collection and cord blood banking.
What is Delayed Cord-cutting?
After a baby’s birth, the umbilical cord which works as life support between you and your baby by passing the essential nutrients and oxygen to your baby needs to be cut to separate you from your baby. Earlier it was believed that early cord-cutting reduces the chances of postpartum haemorrhage in a new mom. However, according to the International Childbirth Education Association, “Delayed cord clamping is a birth practice where the umbilical cord is not clamped or cut until after pulsations have ceased or after the placenta is delivered.” Delayed cord-cutting is mostly common amidst in pre-term babies, who have anaemia in them. However, babies born full-term can also be benefitted by delayed cord-cutting.
What are the Benefits of Delayed Cord-cutting?
ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) recommends at least 30 – 60 seconds for cord-cutting for all babies. Newborns can receive approximately 30% more foetal-placental blood volume by delaying the clamping of the umbilical cord. Therefore, delaying cord clamping will give your baby a healthy blood volume. Besides this, the other benefits are:
- Those few extra minutes help in neurological development of the neonate.
- Since the cord is attached to the baby, which is still in the womb, delayed cord cutting might help the baby breathe properly.
- Increases the haemoglobin levels at birth, which might be effective for your baby’s development, by reducing the chances of anaemia. The cord blood passes on to the baby in those extra minutes, resulting in adequate iron stores, along with proper functioning of foetal lungs, kidneys and liver, after birth.
- Moreover, delayed cord clamping increases the levels of stem cells, which has an important role to help in the development of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous systems of the baby. Preemies are less likely to bleed into the brain and they enjoy stabilized blood pressure.
Does Delayed Cord-cutting Have Any Effect Upon Cord Blood Collection?
No! Delayed cord-cutting is more or less a common medical practice by now and does not affect the process of cord blood collection. The cord is sterilised and punctured to clamp and the caregiver inserts a needle to collect the blood left behind in the cord and the placenta in a sterile collection bag. The collection bag is then sent for quality testing, processing, and cord blood banking. However, cord blood collected after delayed cord-cutting (maybe more than 60 seconds) is significantly lower.
What About Cord Blood Banking?
Even if the cord blood volume is lower, the cord blood is enormously full with blood-forming stem cells, which have the potential to multiply into different blood cell types – white and red blood cells, plasma, and platelets. The cord blood stem cells have proven to be instrumental in treating over 80+ life-threatening diseases. The treatment of cancer, sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia to name a few.
Therefore, the cord blood of your baby may still be used in regenerative medicine.
So, knowing the benefits of delayed cord-cutting and cord blood, cord blood banking is the best decision of your life. While you zero down your choices for cord blood banks, we tell you why Cordlife should be your one and only choice.
