Community stem cell banking to help meet demand for cord blood

The Baby Cord Share by LifeCell will help parents who have banked their baby’s umbilical cord stem cells among others who have registered as part of the community. The new project hopes to expand the pool so that the registered ones’ family members benefit from it. 

A newborn’s umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells that can be used to treat various kinds of blood disorders like thalassemia and blood cancers like leukaemia. According to studies, one in 20 people face a lifetime risk of having a condition that can be treated with stem cell transplant. 

Talking about the launch, Mayur Abhaya Srisrimal, MD and CEO of LifeCell, said, “The initiative would bring together the features of private and public cord blood banks. The chances of finding a match is high when you have a bigger inventory.” 

LifeCell that has more than two lakh registered members so far in the existing private bank and adds an inventory of 50,000 units every year. With preservations across 150 cities, however, so far, the organisation has had a tie up with only private facilities to mobilise people who come forward to bank their baby’s cord blood. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kanimozhi Somu, city-based senior gynaecologist, said that it was high time that the government institutions like Medical College Hospitals and Primary Health Centres should explore at preserving the cord blood option. 

“Given the benefits the programme offers, community banking is the way forward. With the number of placentas and cord blood wasted in the government institutions, those below poverty line lose out on the benefit,” she added. 

Mayur said that focus was also on creating awareness among the people to come forward to be part of a community. 

“We are going largely digital for the awareness as the parents are in the age group between 25 and 35 years and are comfortable with the platform,” he said. 

Experts also said that it would be easier for such a bank to add more inventory if gynaecologists spoke to the patients about the benefits of community banking.