FAQ | Bedomaich Chayi | Public Cord Blood Bank

The blood remaining in the umbilical cord and the placenta were considered biological waste until not long ago. In recent years, use of cord blood has grown and is today an accepted source for stem cell transplants, similar to stem cells collected from the bone marrow or peripheral blood.

Just like with stem cells from bone marrow or peripheral blood, cord blood can be used to treat cancerous diseases such as leukemia, and non-cancerous illnesses like acute aplastic anemia and genetic sicknesses such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia.

Cord blood contains many types of stem cells but today only hematopoietic (blood producing) stem cells are used in transplants. Uses for the other stem cells are being researched extensively.  When it comes to transplantation, every stem cell source – bone marrow, peripheral or cord blood - has its pros and cons. In every case, doctors will confer as to the preferred source and in accordance with its availability.

HLA is part of the genetic information found in every cell. Tissue typing has a crucial job in the body's immune system: it is responsible for identifying the body's cells as self or foreign objects. Cells identified as foreign will automatically begin the attack.

Matching tissue type between the transplanted cells and the recipient's tissue type is crucial to the accepting or rejecting of the transplant and the occurrence of GVHD, the main complication to set in after a bone marrow transplant.
 

After the baby is born, the umbilical cord is cut as usual. A needle is then inserted into the umbilical cord. The needle is connected to a sterile collection bag, similar to a regular blood donation bag, and the blood is collected to the bag. There is no feeling, no pain, and no danger whatsoever in the collection of cord blood as it is done after the baby's birth and the cord is cut. The collection is done by trained professional 'collectors' that are not part of the delivery team. The usual unit collected is between 50-150 m"l.

No. Collection for public cord blood banks is done only in specific hospitals. In addition, collection is subject to the mother and father's signatures and filled in medical history forms similar to any blood donation.

No.  Despite the many costs incurred, donating cord blood to the Bedomaich Chayi public cord blood bank is free. All expenses, including the collection, lab processing and storage in nitrogen canisters in deep freeze are funded by philanthropists in Israel and around the world – people of vision and love for all humanity.

People choosing to save their cord blood in private cord blood banks will pay for the privilege according to the plan they've chosen. The following FAQ will provide more information on donating to a public cord blood bank vs. a private cord blood bank.

No. Bedomaich Chayi operates in Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Bikur Cholim Hospital in Jerusalem. At these hospitals, cord blood can be donated 24 hours a day, besides from Thursday morning through Saturday night.  Magen David Adom's public cord blood bank operates in Wolfson Medical Center, The Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center – Ichilov Hospital, Nahariya Hospital for the Western Galilee and the Red Crescent Society Hospital of East Jerusalem. Collection in these hospitals is limited to the hours when Magen David Adom collectors are present.

All cord blood units collected for public banks are saved anonymously with no identifying details. All sick people who need it and are found to be a match can receive it. Bedomaich Chayi saves the donor's identifying details in accordance with medical confidentiality policy in order to update the donor if a problem is discovered during testing of the cord blood and to verify the baby's health when the unit is requested for transplantation.

A private bank saves the cord blood only for the newborn and his family for a fee. Private banks do not do virology testing or tissue typing on the cord blood and generally save the cord blood even if there aren't enough cells for a bone marrow transplant. On the other hand, public banks save the cord blood in a public registry anonymously and it is available to all transplant units around the world. This way, any patient can find a corresponding match if needed.

Public banks do not take payment from the mother and the units are only kept if they meet all the rigorous international standards, meant to protect the transplant recipient. The minimum cells accepted today in public banks are about 900 granulated cells. Public banks are subject to all international standards of transplant centers such as the NET-CORD regulations.

No. It is not possible to divide a cord blood unit. Even when a collection is done in optimal conditions by professional trained staff, as is done in public cord blood banks, a big percentage (over 50%) of the units do not meet the minimum cell criteria. Therefore it is not possible to have the unit divided.

Experience in this field is over 15 years. During this period it has been proven that cord blood can be saved and then used successfully in a transplant. It is supposed that it's possible for cord blood to be used after an even longer period of 15 years when it is saved properly.

In addition, new technologies and collection techniques, processing and preservation processes have been refined and changed in recent years. Most units saved ten years ago no longer meet today's accepted criteria.

Some of these illnesses may invalidate the possibility of donating cord blood to a public bank. Every case needs to be checked into. In specific cases, when a person in the family requires a bone marrow transplant or is sick and may require a transplant in the near future, it is possible to save the cord blood donation for this individual with no fees involved. For more information, contact the Bedomaich Chayi offices.

We will need to wait and see what new technologies and research will develop as to the use of stem cells in treating other illnesses (which don't require hematopoietic stem cells) such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, central nervous system disorders, diabetes and more. Much effort and resources have been invested and are limited to laboratory research. As of today they have not reaped any benefits for the sick. More so, the necessary cells for such treatments can, when necessary, be taken from the patient himself.

Collection must begin immediately after cutting the umbilical cord.  There is no change in the procedure of the cutting of the cord when collecting cord blood. Delaying the cutting of the cord can affect the quality and quantity of cells in the cord blood, but there is nothing preventing the collection of cord blood immediately after the cord is cut, even if the cutting is delayed somewhat. Some of the cord blood banks will only collect after the placenta has been delivered, and even so they do successful collections. Our experience shows that successful cord blood collection can be done even after a delayed cutting of the cord.