Saving cord blood: why and how. What is the value of stem cells from umbilical cord blood Save cord blood

Today, if not everyone, then very many have heard about stem cells. The topic is of particular interest to future parents who are on the path to making a decision about saving blood from the umbilical cord of their newborn baby. The health of the child may directly depend on the correctness of their choice.

Let's talk about why cord blood stored in special banks. In addition, we will consider its characteristics and methods of application.

What is cord blood?

This name is given to the blood that is taken from the baby’s umbilical cord and placenta immediately after birth. Its value lies in the large concentration of stem cells, which have many positive characteristics.

What are stem cells

Cord blood cells are called stem cells. They are the main “building blocks” in the structure of the body’s immune system. In addition, stem cells have such interesting feature, as the possibility of division throughout the entire life cycle. This helps restore any tissue in the body. And stem cells are capable of differentiating into absolutely any other of which there are more than two hundred.

How is cord blood collected?

So how should cord blood be collected? It is immediately worth noting that this procedure is completely painless for both the mother and her newborn baby. Besides this, it does not pose any danger.

Immediately after birth, a needle is inserted into the umbilical vein, through which the blood flows by gravity into a special bag. It already contains liquid that prevents clotting. In total, from 50 to 250 ml of blood comes out, which contains from 3 to 5 percent stem cells.

After the placenta has passed, the obstetrician cuts off approximately 10-20 centimeters of the umbilical cord and places it in a special package.

All biomaterials must be delivered to the laboratory within 4-6 hours. There they are processed, frozen and stored.

Shelf life of stem cells and their use

Saving cord blood is a process that must occur in compliance with all necessary rules and regulations. After all, the “lifetime” of stem cells depends on it.

If stored properly, this period can be tens of years, which is confirmed by the fact that the first blood bank was opened back in 1993. It was from that moment until our time that the first stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood were stored.

There can be no doubt that this biomaterial will be 100% suitable for the child himself in the future. In addition, studies have shown that parents, brothers and sisters can also use the valuable liquid. At the same time, the probability that the blood will be an ideal match is within 25%.

Stem cells in an adult

After reading the information described above, a question may arise: why is it necessary to collect stem cells from a newborn child? Are they really not present in the body of an adult? Of course there is. But!

The main difference is the concentration of stem cells in the blood. With age, their number constantly decreases. The results of the research will help confirm this: in newborns there is 1 stem cell per 10 thousand cells of the body, in adolescence - per 100 thousand, and after 50 years - per 500 thousand. At the same time, not only their quantity decreases, but also their quality. Umbilical cord stem cells are much more active than those obtained from bone marrow. The main reason This is due to their youth.

Why is it necessary to save blood from the umbilical cord?

Modern medicine has advanced far and can do a lot. But there are still some diseases for which a cure has not yet been invented. It is in such cases that the way out of the situation may be the use of umbilical cord blood, or, more precisely, the stem cells contained in it. For example, these could be diseases of the immune system. This also includes cases when restoration or blood is needed, and biomaterial is used for rapid tissue regeneration after extensive burns or wounds.

Even if the baby was born completely healthy, this does not guarantee that he will not need stem cells throughout his life. In addition, they can also be used to treat close relatives. Therefore, even before giving birth, it is worth thinking about the issue of collecting umbilical cord blood to ensure that, if something happens, it is possible to restore the health of not only the child, but also the rest.

Treatment with cord blood

It was mentioned above that umbilical cord blood and the stem cells it contains are a real panacea for getting rid of many serious diseases. But without concrete examples, such words will remain just empty sounds. Therefore, let’s remember some of the most common diseases (although there are more than 80 of them in total), which can be gotten rid of thanks to the use of such biomaterial. For convenience, they will all be divided into interrelated groups.

Blood diseases:

• lymphoma;
• hemoglobinuria;
• refractory and aplastic anemia;
• sickle cell anemia;
• Waldenström;
• paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria;
• spicy and ;
• Fanconi anemia;
• macroglobulinemia;
• myelodysplasia.

Autoimmune diseases:

• rheumatoid arthritis;
• cerebral palsy;
• spinal cord injury;
• stroke;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• systemic scleroderma;
• diseases of the nervous system;
• Parkinson's disease.

Oncological diseases:

• neuroblastoma;
• cancer (breast, kidney, ovarian, testicular);
• Ewing's sarcoma;
• rhabdomyosarcoma;
• a brain tumor;
• thymoma.

Other congenital and acquired diseases:

• metabolic disorders;
• immunodeficiency;
• diabetes;
• muscular dystrophy;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• AIDS;
• histiocytosis;
• amyloidosis.

Special indications and contraindications for storing blood from the umbilical cord

There are situations when special attention must be paid to the issue of preserving cord blood. This applies to cases when:

• family members are representatives of different nationalities;
• anyone in the family has been diagnosed with blood diseases or malignant diseases;
• there are many children in the family;
• the family already has sick children;
• pregnancy occurred after IVF;
• There are suspicions that in the future there may be a need to use stem cells.

But it also happens that saving stem cells is prohibited. This occurs in cases of a positive result for the presence of diseases such as hepatitis B and C, syphilis, HIV-1 and HIV-2, T-cell leukemia.

How effective is stem cell treatment?

Scientists have long known about useful functions that umbilical cord blood possesses. And today, active research is being conducted on the use of stem cells to treat various diseases. It is worth noting that they are quite successful, and in the near future, thanks to umbilical cord blood, it will be possible to get rid of many diseases. Besides, in laboratory conditions You can grow a new full-fledged organ from stem cells! This discovery advanced medicine far forward and put it, so to speak, at a new stage of evolution.

stem cells and what does he do?

Once the decision has been made to preserve cord blood, there is only one question left to deal with: where will it be stored? Are there special places for such purposes? The answer, of course, is yes.

The cord blood stem cell bank is a place where such valuable biological material will be stored in compliance with all necessary standards. There are two registers: nominal and public.

In the first case, the blood from the child’s umbilical cord belongs to his parents, and only they can dispose of it. But in such a situation, they will have to pay for all services themselves, from collection and processing to storage.

Stem cells from the public registry can be used by anyone if the need arises.

Selecting a stem cell bank

When choosing a stem cell storage bank, you need to focus on several important points. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

1. Lifetime of the bank. In this regard, everything is logical, because the more time an organization operates, the more clients trust it, mainly due to confidence in its stability. In addition, the employees of such a bank usually have extensive experience working with cord blood.
2. Availability of a license. This is a mandatory item. The bank must have permission to collect, transport and store stem cells, which was issued by the health committee.
3. Institution base. It is best to choose a bank that is located on the basis of a research institute or medical institution. This will guarantee that they will meet all the conditions for working with biological material and storing it.
4. Availability of necessary equipment. The bank must be equipped with a double centrifuge, as well as Sepax and Macopress devices.
5. Availability of an automatic control system for cryogenic storage facilities. This will help control the temperature in the room with cord blood samples, as well as receive reports on their storage for placement in a special archive.
6. Availability of courier service. This is necessary so that bank employees can quickly come to the maternity ward, collect cord blood and deliver it to the laboratory. The preservation of the viability of stem cells directly depends on the efficiency of their work.
7. Conducted by the bank scientific research in the field of cell technologies. This point is no less important than all the others. In addition, the bank must cooperate with medical institutions and leading research institutes of the city.
8. Availability of 24-hour security. This point does not require further explanation.

Among other things, you can further clarify whether the bank has experience in using stem cells for treatment purposes. Having a positive answer will only be another plus.

So we got acquainted with the question “what is umbilical cord blood”. Its use, as we see, is indicated for the treatment of serious diseases when medications are no longer effective. But in any case, the decision about whether to collect the cord blood of their newborn child or not is made only by his parents.

Cord blood and umbilical cord contain very valuable cells called stem. These cells appear at the moment of conception, and it is from them that all other cells and tissues arise.

If you collect blood from the umbilical cord immediately after the birth of a child, you can save and use these stem cells in the future. They are collected after the umbilical cord has been cut, so there is no need to worry - it will not affect the child in any way.

After processing, the blood is frozen and stored in special containers. It can be stored for at least 5, at least 10, at least 100 years, without losing its qualities.

How are stem cells used? These cells can be transformed into others that are necessary for the body at the moment.

Diseases that can be treated with stem cells:

• Blood diseases ( different types anemia)
• Diseases of the immune system and metabolic processes
• Oncological diseases (cancer)
• Diabetes mellitus type 1

Important: stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood can be used not only by the person from whom they were taken, but also by members of his family and even other people who are not related to him.

Cord blood: pros and cons of use

• At this stage, more than 100 diseases can be treated with stem cells. Moreover, among them there are many really serious ones (for example, leukemia, lymphoma, other oncological diseases).
• The procedure is simple, safe and painless.
• If you need treatment, your blood will be prepared within two to three hours, while finding a donor can take months.
• The blood may be suitable for other family members and relatives.
• These cells are young, so they have not yet been influenced by ecology and the environment in general.

Disadvantages of collecting, storing and using cord blood:

• There is only one opportunity to preserve it - at birth.
• Expensive procedure. But, of course, one can argue with this. If you don’t need the blood (and it’s good if that happens), then it turns out to be expensive. But if you need it, then looking for a donor and using bone marrow will be much more expensive.
• With a stem cell transplant, the blood is restored more slowly than from bone marrow.

As you can see, this procedure has many more advantages, but it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth saving the cord blood. Just think carefully, because there will be no second chance for your child.

According to statistics, approximately 200 million births occur annually in the world, during which about 20 thousand tons of umbilical cord blood are destroyed. Although many doctors claim that it is extremely valuable. Today, propaganda for preserving umbilical cord blood has begun to actively develop, and more and more often young parents are signing contracts for its cryopreservation in order to have a kind of “insurance” for the child in the future. After all, it is believed that with the help of stem cells included in its composition, almost all diseases can be cured, including thunderstorms today— oncology. How exactly umbilical cord blood works and why stem cells are collected in maternity hospitals - in the material from AiF.ru.

Easier reactions, fewer infections

Doctors say cord blood and the stem cells it contains are much better and healthier than other blood options. True, we are most often talking about its demand for severe pathologies that require, for example, long-term serious treatment or a transplant. The advantages of own stem cells are:

• Less risk of transmitting hidden viral infections
• Less incidence and severity of graft-versus-host disease
• No risk for the donor, etc.

Stem cells appear in the embryo from the very beginning of its formation in the womb. At first they are the inner cell mass, from which all human tissues and organs are later formed. Such cells divide very quickly and turn into 350 different types of cells. Their main property is to protect the body from various pathological microorganisms. As soon as they receive a signal about the “attack”, they are sent to the lesion and turn into additional cells of the organ or tissues that fight the infection. In this way, they can help restore balance and replace damaged body parts.

But there is also a minus: over time, stem cells lose their efficiency and weaken, and it becomes more difficult for them to cope with stress. And here backup options prepared in advance can come to the rescue.

Highest quality concentrate

Today it is considered most correct to draw blood from infants. After all, their stem cells are still “fresh”, not deformed or “tired”. The process of collecting blood from the umbilical cord, which, in principle, is not needed by anyone after childbirth, since it has already fulfilled its entire purpose, is automated. Therefore, doctors end up with a concentrated composition rich in high-quality stem cells. The viability of cells after such isolation, as studies show, is 99.9%. To carry out the procedure, parents are given an individual kit, which can be given in their hands or immediately delivered to the maternity hospital. The collected blood can even be transported to other regions: the conditions will need to be negotiated with the cryobank staff.

Next, the cryopreservation procedure comes to the rescue. After all, this is the only way to preserve blood and cells for a long time. If necessary, all that remains is to defrost them and carry out treatment. As experts say, therapy with this drug has been carried out in the world for 15 years. The list of areas in which diseases are combated through such treatment:

• Oncology
• Hematology
• Gastroenterology
• Genetics
• Gynecology
• Dermatology
• Cardiology
• Neurology
• Ophthalmology
• Urology
• Phlebology
• Surgery
• Endocrinology

How are cells stored?

Before storing cells, they should be prepared for freezing. To do this, they are placed in special cryocontainers, which are plastic bags or test tubes. What exactly will be used is determined by the amount of material. Each stem cell sample must be labeled and a unique code consisting of numbers or bars is used. Later, all information is entered into a special database and duplicated, so that the likelihood of errors is eliminated by 100%.

Stem cells are subjected to smooth freezing in special installations that maintain optimal cooling rates and preserve their maximum viability.

After freezing, containers with cells are placed in separate boxes and immersed in liquid nitrogen. In this way they are protected from external influences so that they remain active for a long period of time. Electronic sensors in storage facilities are responsible for monitoring nitrogen levels around the clock without interruption.

It is worth considering that this procedure is not cheap. So, on average, the cost of collecting umbilical cord blood is 70,000 rubles. And subsequent storage is determined by the conditions of different cryobanks, but on average each month will cost 10,000 rubles.

Several reasons for preserving cord blood at the time of childbirth: why it is worth preserving umbilical cord blood.

Saving cord blood is a relatively new procedure for parents from Russia (it was only in 2003 that the first cryobanks that preserve umbilical cord blood cells appeared in the Russian Federation). Expectant mothers and fathers have little information available about the benefits of this event. And those parents who are already aware of the possibility of preserving umbilical cord blood during childbirth are often not ready to make a responsible decision on which the life and health of their child may depend in the future.

So what does this give modern procedure, which is also called bioinsurance? What are the benefits of cord blood preservation? There are at least 10 reasons to choose to host this event, which is not quite familiar to Russia.

Reason #1

The No. 1 reason for the need to preserve cord blood is the possibility of preserving hematopoietic stem cells. These cells are used to treat a variety of diseases:

· lymphomas;

· anemia;

leukemia;

oncohematological diseases;

· congenital immunodeficiencies.

The use of biomaterial preserved during childbirth can effectively cure over 85 different diseases.

Reason #2

Cord blood is not a panacea. However, it is precisely this that makes it possible to urgently help a child when finding a donor quickly turns out to be impossible.

It is the moment of childbirth that turns out to be the most favorable time for creating such “capital” of health as umbilical cord blood.

Reason #3

The third reason for preserving cord blood is the complete safety of the event. The procedure is extremely simple and painless for both mother and newborn. This process takes no more than 5 minutes, and the benefits will last a lifetime.

Reason #4

Availability. Stem cells are stored in a special Gemabank. Storage will cost the baby’s parents hundreds of times less than:

· purchase of biomaterial of foreign origin;

· emergency search for a donor;

· attracting expensive specialists to solve the problem.

Reason #5

The right to choose. The biomaterial obtained at the time of birth is kept in a special cryogenic storage facility. As a rule, Gemabank enters into an agreement with parents for the storage of stem cells for 18 years. Then the owner of the biomaterial reaches the age of majority and can renew the contract himself.

Reason #6

Unique benefits of biomaterial. The value of stem cells is not limited only to the possibility of using them to treat the owner of the biomaterial. Biomaterial may be suitable as an emergency aid:

· siblings;

· grandparents;

· parents;

· in some cases - cousins.

Reason #7

Timely treatment. Thanks to a reasonable approach to organizing the future of your children, you won’t have to wait for a long time for donor material. After all, in emergency situations, every day and hour has value.

Reason #8

Uniqueness and versatility. Cord blood can easily be considered an excellent replacement for peripheral blood and even bone marrow stem cells. This is a biomaterial of unique value: it is enriched with active and youngest hematopoietic stem cells.

Reason #9

Absence negative impact external environment. The secret of the benefits of cord blood lies in its peculiar sterility, which is due to the absence of the influence of all negative external factors. The biomaterial is not affected by poor ecology, poor quality nutrition, stress, or various infectious diseases.

Reason #10

Storing cord blood at Gemabank ensures complete safety. Gemabank works in close connection with the leading transplant centers of the world. That is why, if necessary, the biomaterial will be promptly and efficiently prepared for the operation. read on our website.

A new type of fraud has appeared in maternity hospitals

Today, in antenatal clinics and maternity hospitals, pregnant women are subjected to aggressive marketing by unusual “consultants.” They convince already suspicious mothers in labor that only umbilical cord blood will cure their babies if they get cancer, diabetes - and so on throughout the medical reference book. And they immediately offer to collect, freeze and preserve this blood “for only 90 thousand rubles.” “ХХХХ” conducted an investigation and found out: “consultants” are lying, cord blood does not cure diseases. But businessmen earn hundreds of millions of rubles a year from it. And maternity hospital employees actually became distributors in this cynical business.

I came to Moscow maternity hospital No. 4 for courses for pregnant women. Along with brochures on child care, booklets from the “XXXX” stem cell bank are placed at the stands. Before that, I knew nothing about this service - the isolation of stem cells from the umbilical cord blood of a newborn. But as soon as I registered on specialized forums, my mail was bombarded with advertisements. “The use of stem cells for cancer, such as leukemia, makes it possible to begin treatment in a timely manner, without wasting time searching for a bone marrow donor,” the stem cell bank assured me. Maternity magazines are full of reviews from stars who entrusted the bank with “their most precious things.” The service costs about 60 thousand rubles for isolating cells and 4 thousand for each year of storage. You can pay immediately for 20 years of storage - 90 thousand.

Untimely death of bone marrow

The course in the maternity hospital begins. Seven women, weighed down by their third trimester bellies, walk into the hall. Today a neonatologist talks about breast-feeding. Somewhere in the middle of the lecture he says:

— During childbirth, we collect umbilical cord blood stem cells. They protect the child and his relatives from cancer! There are even treatments for both cerebral palsy and senile dementia! Now I will give you discount coupons, my name is on them. Show them in “ХХХХ,” he signs the papers.

The Moscow market is divided into three stem cell banks: “ХХХХ”, “ХХХХ” and the bank at “ХХХХ”. If parents decide to donate stem cells to a company “unfriendly” to the maternity hospital, the maternity hospital requires an additional payment of 2 to 10 thousand. These banks have branches in other cities of Russia; they have competitors only in St. Petersburg and Samara. All this is very reminiscent of network marketing, and the role of distributors is played by employees of maternity hospitals and clinics.

The next day, the class for pregnant women begins with a visit from a closet-like woman in a white coat, who introduces herself as an obstetrician-gynecologist from “ХХХХ”. In fact, we paid 1.5 thousand rubles each to talk to us about the progress of labor for two hours. But the obstetrician-gynecologist begins to explain to us that sometimes children get blood cancer:

“There are situations when the bone marrow is either severely damaged or completely disappears because radiation or chemotherapy is performed. And this is the main source of immunity and hematopoiesis. A person who does not have bone marrow cannot be among us - this air is lethal for him!

Expectant mothers' hearts turn cold, as if the bone marrow of their children has already disappeared.

“Therefore, it is desirable that each child has biological insurance in the form of his own stem cells. They can be used for transplantation not only for a child, but also for parents and siblings. In addition to oncology, stem cells have already begun to treat cardiovascular diseases, cerebral palsy, -Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease. In this maternity hospital, two daughters of a father with Parkinson's gave birth to three children, all of whom had stem cells stored. These cells were subsequently injected into the father, that is, the grandfather, and provided remission for 15 years! — The consultant’s eyes glow, like those of a Jehovah’s Witness, broadcasting about the imminent second coming of Christ.

And none of us doubted the story of “grandfather’s cure,” although 15 years ago there was not a single stem cell bank in Russia, and Parkinson’s disease was not treated with umbilical cord blood even abroad.

Excursion to the cryogenic storage facility

Every Thursday at "ХХХХ" there is an open day for pregnant women. Given the scale of the advertisement, I expected to see a luxurious office. After all, there is “a sterile laboratory where the umbilical cord blood of 17 thousand clients is stored.” But the office is located in the outskirts, in a dirty alley. There is some scrap metal lying around in the yard and a courier car delivering blood from maternity hospitals. -The premises look like an ordinary real estate office. Today, besides me, two married couples came. We are seated in soft chairs, given tea and immediately given a folder with copies of the contract with a discount that is “valid only today.” Consultant Olga Mitusova includes a presentation. The procedure is as follows: the midwife collects blood, the parents call the bank, and a courier comes from there and picks up the bag, which is waiting for him in the emergency department of the maternity hospital. In the bank's laboratory, a concentrate of stem cells will be extracted from the blood and frozen at a temperature of minus 196 degrees, at which the cells can be stored forever. According to the “consultant,” during subsequent defrosting, the bank guarantees that 85-95% of the collected cells will remain alive. However, I did not find this guarantee anywhere in the contract.

— Will there be enough cells to treat the disease?

— It depends on the volume of umbilical cord blood, on how the birth went... If it is an oncological disease, it is only enough for a single injection. Perhaps this is not enough for recovery.

But these words are drowned in an hour-long description of the prospects for treating more than 80 diseases and stories of saving children with cancer, diabetes and cerebral palsy.

A man comes out to us, introduces himself as the head of the laboratory, and we head to the cryogenic storage facility. Two mothers are coughing, but they don’t give us any masks or gowns. We walk along an old corridor with some kind of pipe and crumbling plaster and enter a room with rows of refrigerator containers. The refrigerators have a display with a temperature sensor, and a pipe with liquid nitrogen crawls along the floor. Each container stores 1,260 blood samples. The head of the laboratory opens the refrigerator, steam pours out. He puts on thick gloves, takes out an iron box with bags of umbilical cord blood, pulls out one sample and proudly displays:

— It can be stored in bags - this is for a single administration, or it can be stored in several test tubes. When the client gets old and decides to treat his stroke, then you can spend it in parts!

When we leave the cryogenic storage facility, some construction workers in dirty clothes walk past us. But both married couples sign the agreement.

Bank owners have no moral principles

Doctor of Medical Sciences Elena Skorobogatova has been the head of the bone marrow transplantation department of the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital for almost 20 years. The department performs approximately 80 hematopoietic stem cell transplants per year, including from umbilical cord blood.

“Umbilical cord blood is used only from donors, not your own,” she says. “This is due to the fact that the indications for transplantation are severe hereditary diseases of the immune system, leukemia. This is a genetic defect and is already present in the cord blood.

I open bank websites and look at identical lists of diseases for which umbilical cord blood is used in the treatment. Almost everywhere the prefix is ​​“hereditary”, that is, one’s own blood is not good. But there is not a word about this on the websites. Maybe cord blood helps at least siblings?

- Only if we are sure that they do not have this genetic defect. But the probability that one of the brothers is a compatible donor is only 25%, disappoints Skorobogatov. “In addition, there are fewer stem cells in umbilical cord blood than in bone marrow, and first of all we are looking for a bone marrow donor.

“But in the brochure of one of the banks it is written: “Cells from umbilical cord blood are much less likely to cause complications and are rejected than cells from the bone marrow.”

“It’s the other way around: bone marrow takes root faster, already in the second or third week, but cord blood is rejected more often, and the risk of infection is much greater. This is due to the fact that the body of an adult has already encountered infections, and his bone marrow can provide rapid restoration of immunity.

— Bank consultants insist that it is very difficult to find a donor, but cord blood is at hand.

— We have access to an international database of bone marrow donors, where there are 20.5 million samples, this is enough to select a donor for 85% of patients. And for those who don’t have it, it will be difficult to find cord blood. But now new transplant processing techniques have emerged that make it possible to use stem cells from fathers and mothers who are only half compatible with the child. There is hope that the need for transplants will soon disappear: new drugs and medical technologies are being developed.

— So, umbilical cord blood most likely will not be useful to all “investors”?

- Yes, almost 100% - never. It can be used in cases of acquired aplastic anemia, poisoning with myelotoxic drugs, or if a person enters an area with a high level of radiation. The probability of these conditions occurring is extremely low.

— Is it possible to cure diabetes and cerebral palsy with cord blood?

— From hematopoietic cells? In no case! For the treatment of diabetes, there is experience in pancreatic islet cell transplantation. But cord blood contains only hematopoietic cells. People who do stem cell business have no moral principles. The main thing is to light up the parent, scare him and force him to shell out a round sum.

— In one of the banks they told me a story about how parents saved the umbilical cord blood of a child, and he was born with cerebral palsy. And they also paid to have these cells infused into him, after which he began to hold the spoon on his own.

“He could start holding a spoon after rehabilitation.” The child's body has amazing capabilities to restore brain function. There is no evidence in world science that it was hematopoietic stem cells that helped anyone. -To prove effectiveness, it is necessary to conduct a randomized study: compare a group that received cells and a group that did not.

If I were a charlatan

Director of "ХХХХ" Alexander Prikhodko in telephone conversation with “ХХХХ” he did not deny that the cells will not help the child himself with blood cancer and a number of hereditary diseases. But they can help a brother or sister, and “XXXX” had such a case. One. Out of 17 thousand clients. Therefore, XXXX calls itself “the only bank with successful experience in transplantations.”

— We do not cooperate with private banks. But this was the only case,” says Elena Skorobogatova to “ХХХХ”. “They froze the baby’s umbilical cord blood to help his sick brother. However, the family could be helped for free: if indicated, the cord blood could be frozen in the stem cell bank of the Moscow Department of Health. Additionally, it is risky to take a sample from a commercial facility and transplant it without any other cellular support. Therefore, we waited for the donor to grow up, took his bone marrow and transplanted it along with umbilical cord blood.

Meanwhile, the director of "XXXX" continued to convince me that every parent should save blood - for the sake of prospects:

— Oncohematology is just the tip of the iceberg. Heart, liver, immune system diseases are treated using cord blood...

But when I tried to find out to what extent they were being “treated,” it turned out that the director himself was aware that there were no official results of clinical trials conducted on randomized groups.

— Our website lists diseases in which hematopoietic (those that turn into blood cells. - “ХХХХ”) umbilical cord blood stem cells have shown their effectiveness. But it doesn't say that this is mass use.

- That is, these were isolated cases.

- Yes! This does not mean that hematopoietic stem cells are registered as a drug for the treatment of this disease. If I were a charlatan, I would say: yes, you know, the treatment is great!

Bone marrow engrafts faster, already in the second or third week, and cord blood is rejected more often, and the risk of infection is much greater. This is due to the fact that the adult body has already encountered infections.

Indeed, there is nothing to complain about: nowhere on the website or in the brochures of the three Moscow banks is there any guarantee that stem cells will cure any disease. Everywhere there are streamlined formulations like “may help.” The catch is that pregnant women take this as a guarantee of help.

Here are reviews from the largest forum for pregnant women http://ru-perinatal.livejournal.com/, where the next topic “Girls, have you saved cord blood?” periodically appears: “It’s inexpensive to save a life”; “During the courses they told us something like, “If something happens to a child, you won’t forgive yourself for it” - it became scary...”; “I will definitely save the cells. Because my husband has diabetes, because they are actively trying to treat diabetes with stem cells, and there are even results, because there may be some other disease, and I want to lay straws for the child.”

What does another bank, “XXXX”, say about the benefits of storing cells?

“We have experience in using stem cells for cerebral palsy,” says its representative Lyudmila Bashkina.

— How can cord blood help with cerebral palsy if it contains only hematopoietic cells?

— Umbilical cord blood also contains mesenchymal stem cells. "XXXX" saves them too! They provide assistance.

I open the website and see that Roszdravnadzor has a license from “XXXX” only for the isolation of hematopoietic stem cells. And no one dares to say how many mesenchymal cells are in the umbilical cord blood.

— Mesenchymal cells, if necessary, can be cultured from human adipose tissue and bone marrow; umbilical cord blood is not needed for this! — Elena Skorobogatova explains to me.

I continue the interrogation of Lyudmila Bashkina:

— If a child gets blood cancer, can his own stored cells help him?

- Yes! - she answers confidently.

— And where in Russia was there an example of a child being injected with his own stem cells to treat oncology?

“They already took away from us, though not oncology, but to treat Fanconi’s aplastic anemia, they prepared for the younger one - the older one fell ill!”

— I’m talking about my own cells and oncology.

“We are preparing to send stem cells abroad to treat a child with leukemia.

“But they carry the same genetic mutation!”

“It’s different here, I want to tell you.” Some mothers only introduce their own, because someone else’s may carry a different mutation! — the “consultant” got out, as if mothers themselves regularly take and inject these cells.

The legality of banks must be questioned

Advertising articles in Russian media claim that in the West, collecting cord blood in maternity hospitals is an ordinary service. They just keep silent that we're talking about about free umbilical cord blood banks. In this case, the stem cells are given to a compatible recipient and are actually effective against blood cancer and hereditary diseases of the immune system.

Americans were faced with the marketing of private stem cell banks back in the 90s, while the banks had lobbyists in the government who did not allow tightening control over them. The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1999 (Pediatrics, No. 104. P.116-118) wrote: “Successful cord blood cell transplants have led to commercial companies encouraging parents to save their children's cord blood. The marketing of these companies puts pressure on parents' emotions. But there is no evidence that children may later need their own umbilical cord blood.” In addition, the magazine reported, successful transplants were performed only on small children, because there are not enough cells from the umbilical cord for an adult patient. This has prompted medical personnel to make unethical attempts to collect as much cord blood as possible during childbirth by clamping the umbilical cord early, which is dangerous for the baby because it deprives it of iron.

Now Russia is stepping on the same rake. Here is a quote from the website “ХХХХ”: “The chance to preserve the stem cells of a newborn child is given only once in a lifetime - during childbirth. Otherwise, both the umbilical cord and the placenta will undergo “disposal,” that is, they will be destroyed. The same fate will befall the unique umbilical cord blood that fills their vessels.” This is a lie: the “fate” of being thrown away will not befall cord blood, because if it is not collected, it will go free of charge (including stem cells) to its intended destination - into the child’s body.

“Maternity hospitals should not encourage the preservation of umbilical cord blood on commercial terms,” writes Leroy Edozien, an obstetrician-gynecologist and head of a research group for the study of reproductive health and childbearing, in XXXXX. “The time spent collecting cord blood is time taken away from the mother, baby and other patients... Collecting, labeling and processing cord blood is an additional burden on staff.” Edozien asks: if a sample is contaminated or mislabeled, who is responsible: the hospital, the midwife or the bank? The scientist warns that when collecting blood, there is a high risk of introducing bacteria from biological fluids that accompany childbirth.

In Russia, no one monitors the quality of the harvest.

The World Association of Bone Marrow Donors published on its website a warning “On the possibility of autologous use (use for oneself. - “XXXX”) of umbilical cord blood,” where, with an extensive evidence base, it informs that it will not be possible to use one’s own cord blood either today or in the future. future, and those who claim that hematopoietic cells can cure heart attacks, diabetes and Parkinson's disease are scammers.

Russian banks have licenses from Roszdravnadzor ("ХХХХ" checked their validity) to provide medical assistance for the collection, transportation and storage of stem cells. We cannot call these banks scammers, just as it is impossible to call organizations that have licenses to extract oxygen from the air, transport and store it, scammers. The state cannot prohibit the storage of oxygen in case someone fears a shortage in the future.

How much do banks make from babies' blood? From the report of the Institute of Human Stem Cells, of which XXXX is a division, it follows that revenue from the sale of contracts for the storage of umbilical cord blood stem cells for the nine months of 2012 amounted to 172.3 million rubles, from January to November 2012 the company concluded 2864 contracts - a quarter more than last year. Other banks do not disclose their reports, but according to indirect signs it is clear that the growth rate of their business is also high.

“We can collect umbilical cord blood,” read banners on the websites of Moscow maternity hospitals. When “ХХХХ” tried to clarify with the staff of the state Center for Family Planning and Reproduction why they, like other maternity hospitals, “sold out”, we were told: “What do you mean “sold out”? This is a voluntary commercial service.” They say, if you don’t want it, don’t buy it. But the funding of any maternity hospital depends on the number of women giving birth. For many of them, the refusal to provide cord blood collection services is a reason to give birth in another institution. What is cord blood preservation for a pregnant woman? The dream is to protect the child from diseases. Today, this dream has become accessible even to a poor family: the initial payment for a home loan has dropped to 15 thousand rubles.

Help "XXXX"

Who profits from young mothers

Top 10 dubious services

DNA analysis of umbilical cord blood for genetic diseases

16,500 rub.

The essence of the service is Analysis of umbilical cord blood of an already born child. A private consultation with a geneticist is immediately offered, who will tell you what dangers the baby “carries” within itself and what you should do to protect future generations.

Why the benefits are questionable The likelihood of a child having any genetic disease, if he is declared healthy at birth, is minimal. And if the disease manifests itself, it will be diagnosed at the district clinic. As for genetic consultation, if there is an indication for it, it can be obtained free of charge. But paid clinics convince that every responsible mother should visit this specialist.

Osteopath

The essence of the service is a specialist in the field of alternative medicine, who is able to use hand movements to rid a pregnant woman of all the side effects of pregnancy, including toxicosis and the threat of miscarriage.

Why the benefits are questionable Of course, a good massage has never harmed anyone. But it is very difficult to test its effectiveness; it is often a placebo effect. And paying an unknown uncle to “turn” a child in the womb from a breech presentation to a normal one is definitely risky. The advertisement promises that a good osteopath also treats infertility by dispersing blood in the pelvic organs. The method of “overclocking” is not specified, but if the osteopath is beautiful, the traditional one will do.

Clothing with protection from electromagnetic radiation

3500 rub./pcs.

The essence of the service: A pregnant woman is terribly afraid of harming her baby with a microwave and a computer. The embryo will be protected from this evil by special clothing with “silver threads” on the belly.

Why the benefits are questionable Harm to the fetus from home electromagnetic radiation has not been proven, but among themselves, mothers quote some “Japanese scientists” who discovered that a microwave kills vitality. It is impossible to check exactly how the “silver threads” are located in clothing and how they reflect radiation, but one thing is clear: such clothing is more expensive.

Natural Parenting Courses

16,000 rub.

The essence of the service Representatives of alternative medicine promise to teach you how to give birth without pain (which, unfortunately, is physically impossible) and without medical interventions, and even independently monitor the degree of dilatation of the cervix. For an additional fee, you can get an astrological forecast of the abilities of the unborn child and learn how to paint the tummy with ancient runes to the sounds of Tibetan singing bowls.

Why is the benefit questionable? official courses in maternity hospitals they also teach how to relieve pain, but only in scientifically proven ways. A woman who has taken “natural parenting” courses is sure that any anesthesia and medical intervention is evil, and the result of such beliefs is often complicated childbirth.

Childbirth under contract

60,000-600,000 rub.

On average - 120 thousand rubles.

The essence of the service Now a woman can choose a maternity hospital in which she will give birth at public expense, and nothing prevents her from choosing a good one, and even one where she can give birth with her husband. But this is in theory, but in practice they can say that there are no places. But there will definitely be places if you officially pay the maternity hospital 120 thousand - this is the average price of contract childbirth in Moscow.

Why the benefits are doubtful Neither the absence of rudeness nor the absence medical errors and lying in the corridor for such a price is not guaranteed: a woman gives birth in the same department as the “free” women. In fact, this is a fee for a separate postpartum ward and a personal doctor who, during a normal birth, will only visit you a couple of times. For these two advantages, the price is prohibitively high, and at least another 7-10 thousand is added to it for additional, often redundant examinations like “consultation with a psychologist,” which the maternity hospital obliges you to undergo only within its own walls. Free test results from the district antenatal clinic are not suitable for contract childbirth.

Childbirth support services

40,000 rub.

The essence of the service The likelihood that during childbirth you will find a polite midwife who will help you give birth without medical intervention is small. Therefore, the middle class is increasingly using the services of commercial centers of traditional obstetrics, which offer to take a personal assistant with them to the state maternity hospital for childbirth - Grandma God's Dandelion, who will blow on the wound and rub the perineum with oil.

Why the service is questionable There is a risk of conflict between the personal midwife and the hospital medical staff, because the “doctor-midwife” pair is like a flying crew, and a person from someone else’s institution breaks the chain of command and has his own view on “natural childbirth”. Contradictions between them are a threat to the health of the woman in labor.

Dietary supplements and vitamins for pregnant women

Regular fish oil Fish oil with the prefix “perinatal”

50 / 500 rub.

Oil almond oil against stretch marks for pregnant women (based on almond oil)

50 / 1200 rub.

The essence of the service A responsible mother will not stop at a course of vitamins prescribed by a gynecologist (by the way, you can ask for them at the clinic for free), and sooner or later she will fall for advertising from dietary supplement manufacturers who claim that their pills or oils will protect against stretch marks during pregnancy and from ruptures during childbirth.

Why the benefits are questionable Any vitamins should be prescribed based on test results, but doctors often recommend purchasing certain vitamins in a certain place “just in case,” and even give a discount. But the woman herself is looking for ways to reduce the fear of complications and begins to take orally and smear externally with oils and extracts from tropical plants, the benefits of which are the same as those of a daily fruit dessert or domestic fish oil. But any dietary supplement with the word “perinatal” will cost a pregnant woman ten times more.

Confirmation that you are alive

3000-10,000 rub.

The essence of the service In the early stages of pregnancy, when you can’t see the belly or feel the baby’s movements, suspicious mothers are offered to purchase a fetal doppler - a device with which you can listen to the fetal heartbeat as much as you like as psychotherapy. The gynecologist at the district clinic listens to the heart for free, but this happens once every three weeks. And its own fetal doppler can record the sounds of an infant's heart and transfer them to a computer. Another device for worried parents is being advertised as a dowry for a baby. This is a breathing monitor. The sensors of this device are located under the newborn's mattress, and if the monitor does not detect breathing within 20 seconds, it gives a signal.

Why is the benefit questionable? early It’s difficult to find the location of a baby’s tiny heart on your own, so after unsuccessfully moving the sensor over the stomach, the suspicious mother will rush to the same doctor shouting: “Is he alive?” The disadvantage of the breathing monitor is the same: the description of the device says that “false alarms are possible, especially if the child crawls away from the sensor.”