Cord blood vs. bone marrow
Cord blood vs. bone marrow
Cord blood stem cells and bone marrow are similar since both are blood forming cells. However, stem cells are preferable to bone marrow for many reasons. You'll definitely want to save your baby's cord blood!
By the YeahBaby.com editorial staff
Some parents will decide not to collect their baby's cord blood since they believe bone marrow has the same blood forming qualities. However, most doctors are finding cord blood stem cells to be the preferable treatment.
Easier to match - Matching a donor to a recipient is more likely when using cord blood stem cells than bone marrow. Cord blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which are similar to the cells found in bone marrow. However, cord blood stem cells are less mature than bone marrow - and less maturity is good! Studies have shown cord blood survival rates to be 100% higher than bone marrow survival rates. Additionally, cord blood stem cells will be more likely to assist transplants for family members.
Less chance of rejection - The leading cause of death in stem cell treatment patients is GVHD (Graft vs. Host Disease). GVHD happens when a transplant recipient rejects the donor's cells. Since bone marrow is more mature then cord blood stem cells, bone marrow transplants have a greater likelihood the recipient will reject the cells. Studies have shown cord blood to have a far less chance of GVHD than the bone marrow incident rate. The less chance of rejection, the higher the survival rate!
Immediate availability - Parents banking cord blood will have instant access to this miracle cure. Should a baby be diagnosed with any early illnesses, the parents will have immediate access to this life saving blood. Fighting these illnesses at the earliest possible time is vital is to slow down the progression of these diseases.
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