Cord Blood VS Bone Marrow

 

Cord Blood

Bone Marrow
Collection Painless, noninvasive Invasive and can be quite painful - Collection performed with large needle into hip
Risk to Donor None Uncommon (anesthesia related, surgical complications, emergency blood transfusion, etc.)
Contamination with Virus Rare More
Time to Aquire Days - Units are pre-harvested, median search time is less than one month Difficulty at times tracking down donors who registered, median search time is greater than four months
Access for Transplant Easy - Can be pulled from inventory and shipped within 24 hours Difficult - Donor has to coordinate time off work, transplant team and hospital scheduling must align
Number of Available Cells Less than bone marrow More than cord blood
Chances of GVHD(Graft Versus Host Disease) Approximately 10% Serious GVHD occurs in approxi-mately 60% of all unrelated trans-plants
Median Time to NEUTRO-PHIL(The point where the donated cells begin making new cells in the body) 21-35 Days 10-20 Days
Associated costs Significantly less than bone marrow Significantly more than cord bloods
History First successful transplant in 1988 First successful transplant in 1968
Likelihood of Finding a Match More likely Less likely

Why Store Stem Cells

  • You only get one chance at the time of the birth of your baby.
  • Your baby's cord blood could save the life of your baby as well a family member in need.
  • The possibility of medical advancement relies on cord blood stem cells .The cord blood stem cells that are stored today may become even more beneficial in the future with research constantly under way to find new medical uses including heart diseases, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes etc..
  • Each year thousands of adults and children are in serious need of a life saving transplant.
  • Privately banked cord blood will provide your baby with a perfect match for potential stem cells transplants.