We all have heard that stem cells can be collected from the umbilical cord, but let’s get to know how we can use them. Dr. Siripat Preechasanongkit, obstetrics/gynecologist at Samitivej Srinakarin, explained that stem cells are cells that can divide to renew themselves over and over again and can be changed into any special functioning cell type in the body. Stem cells can be used to replace cells in the damaged tissue. They are widely used for the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma, and thalassemia.
Stem cells can be divided into two types: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are derived from the embryos during the blastocyst stage of fertilization (eggs that have been fertilized for 3 – 5 days). They can develop into any cell with specialized function such as cells of the pancreas, liver, lung, bladder, blood, muscle or heart. Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are collected from a tissue or organ. They can renew themselves and can differentiate into specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. For example, if the stem cells are collected from the liver, they can change into liver cells under the right condition. If they are from the blood, they can change into various types of blood cells. That is how you can use them for therapy.
Embryonic stem cells can be collected from the umbilical cord after a child is born. During child birth, once the umbilical cord is cut, the doctor can collect blood from the umbilical cord that is still attached to the mother. It only takes 5 minutes to collect and many stem cells can be separated and preserved. However, the amount of stem cells is dependent upon the amount of blood that can be collected.
Adult stem cells can be collected during normal blood drawn procedure, similar to blood donation. However, the amount that can be collected is less than those collected from the umbilical cord. Furthermore, the ability for adult stem cells to change into specific tissue or organ is also limited. Other method of collecting adult stem cells include collection from the bone marrow, dental roots, fat and the area of the belly button known as Wharton’s jelly.
Who should collect stem cells? Dr. Siripat advised that you should check your family history for leukemia or thalassemia. Especially in Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia, 30 – 40% of the population are carriers for thalassemia with 5 – 10% are severely affected. If the parents carry the gene for thalassemia, it may be more beneficial than the families that do not carry the gene.
Dr. Siripat also urged pregnant moms to take good care of your bundle of joy and consult your obstetrician if you want to collect stem cells from the umbilical cord. Good nutrition during pregnancy will encourage healthy babies with normal weight gain. The umbilical cord will be nice and large, making it easy to collect lots of blood. Restlessness and stress, however, will be obstacles in the development.
Furthermore, there are also some conditions that may not be suitable for stem cell collection after birth, such as abnormal bleeding caused by premature detachment of the placenta and placenta previa where the placenta is too close to the cervix. In such cases, it may not be safe for the mother to lose more blood.
So Moms, if you want to learn more about saving those precious stem cells for your child, please consult your obstetrician soon so you won’t regret your decisions later. For now, eating all the food groups, drinking lots of water, and enough rest and relaxation are just what the doctor prescribed!