Is this where science fiction meets everyday life? Is that most sacred bond - that between a mother and her newborn child - being invaded by the new technology of genetic engineering? Or is stem cell storage going to be like a routine blood test in the near future?

In what seems like an incredible leap in medical and genetic research, India is advancing towards the infinite possibilities offered by stem cells grown from Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB). And a new kind of choice faces mothers-to-be as they decide what is best for their infant...

What is Umbilical Cord Blood?

Blood contained in the umbilical cord is UCB. It is collected at the time of delivery of a baby. The reason it is of medical interest is because 16 years ago, researchers found that UCB contains a very rich source of 'stem cells'.

How is UCB collected?

Usually, after a baby is delivered, the umbilical cord is clamped in two places and while the baby is removed for cleaning after being cut away from the umbilical cord, the placenta and the remaining umbilical cord are waiting to be expelled by the mother. It is at this stage that we insert a needle into the umbilical vein and collect the foetal blood via gravity into the blood collection bag. After a while, the vein naturally collapses. We are not taking anything extra either from the baby or from the mother. The process is not painful and the mother is not even aware of the procedure most of the time, since she is recovering from the larger process of delivering her baby.

Do you need to store stem cells?

There are essentially two ways of evaluating one's need for this type of bio insurance. For those who do not have a history of genetic problems in the family, there is a slim chance of using or needing this technology. The chances of requiring stem cells for a medical condition vary from one in 200 to as high as one in 20,000! But again, even as recently as five years ago, there was very little information available on the exact applications and diverse uses of stem cell research. There was no question of using stem cells in the treatment of stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Disease and so forth. Very little was known of the diverse applications for stem cell growth. Today, anyone is susceptible to ailments like diabetes and Parkinson's and if you are going to bank the cells at the time of a baby's birth, one hopes, they will not have to be used. But having said that, if you do need it, then this is the best possible option to have, if you want access to a compatible genetic stem cell source.

Real life success

An oncologist in Chennai tells us about a family in which the older child had a medical condition called Thalassemia Major. The child needed routine blood transfusions on an average of one every six months. The parents, while having the second child, banked the UCB. This younger sibling had the condition Thalassemia Minor, which does not manifest itself. While banking the UCB of the younger child, a transfer of stem cells was made possible for the older child. As a result, the elder child's condition was reversed from Thalassemia Major to Thalassemia Minor, making the elder sibling no longer dependent on blood transfusions.