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 Umbilical cord blood is one of the most valuable tools to treat
blood diseases in children, says Emad Salman, M.D., Director of
the Pediatric Oncology/Hematology program at The Children’s
Hospital of Southwest Florida.
Blood from the umbilical cord, which is found in the placenta
following childbirth, is rich in stem cells that form a person’s
blood, like those in bone marrow, Dr. Salman says.
Stem cells in cord blood can treat cancers of the blood;
inherited diseases, such as sickle cell anemia; or conditions
causing bone marrow to fail, such as disease or poison. “Cord
blood is much less expensive and painful than a bone marrow
transplant because the cord blood is free, and a live donor is
not required,” Dr. Salman says.
A “stem cell rescue” involves infusing a patient with the new
stem cells that travel to the bone marrow and help create new,
healthy blood cells.
Most pediatric oncologists recommend banking cord blood for use
by the general public or from the birth of a second child if
your first child has a blood cancer. Giving cord blood to the
same child means reintroducing the same genetic material that
may have led to disease in the first place, he says.
The practice of banking cord blood it is not well established in
the
country, Dr. Salman says. “A national registry, like the
National Bone Marrow Registry, would be hugely beneficial, but
the cost would be astronomical,” he says.
Lee Memorial Health System does not do stem cell rescue or bone
marrow transplants. However, The Children’s Hospital does
provide care for patients who have received the procedures, he
says. “Patients must be followed carefully afterward, as they
will be prone to infection for at least one year,” he says.
Stem cells from cord blood are most useful in pediatric
patients, he says. Adults may be better off with a bone marrow
transplant because of the number of stem cells needed.
Emad Salman, M.D.
Pediatric Oncology/Hematology
9981 S. HealthPark Drive, Suite 156
Fort Myers, FL 33908
239-343-5333 |
