Little lifesaver: The umbilical cord blood donation turns your baby into a hero!

"The main thing is healthy," everyone says, when a radiant pregnant woman's way and the colorful sex rates go off. Unfortunately, not all children have this luck. Every 15 minutes, a person in Germany receives the devastating diagnosis of blood cancer. There are many children among them.

Blood cancer fight with stem cells

Our blog favorite: Dominique Stoll describes herself as a "down to earth hippie aunt", lives in Berlin and is a mother of twins. On her entertaining blog "Tasty Mama", she gives tips on healthy eating for children, without becoming unrealistic: none of her dishes takes more than 30 minutes to prepare.

We have all heard of the possibility of donating stem cells. Me too, as a student. Of course, I registered myself promptly. A few years later the phone rang: "UKE Hamburg here, Dominique, you can help save a life". Whoops! Really, me? Okay! "So I stopped my Weltenbummlerei and donated stem cells.

However, about 20 percent of the diseased blood cancer patients do not find a suitable donor despite the many registered. While I lay there for hours, I asked the doctors many questions. Among other things, I wanted to know if it would be easier to win stem cells. Yes, you can do that now? from the umbilical cord. These also contain the valuable stem cells that are able to restore the hematopoietic system.

Without intervention in the birth

Only nobody knows that. Therefore, according to the DKMS in 97 percent of births in Germany, the umbilical cord blood thrown away. However, this blood of our little wonders can save lives.

Without intervening in the birth or so important bonding (the first cuddle and cuddling with the newcomer) thereafter, the umbilical cord blood donation does not take place until after the baby is already untied. Then the blood from the umbilical cord is discreetly removed by the doctor or midwife present.

Of course, the father of the baby may still cut through the umbilical cord itself.

A success-story

The DKMS umbilical cord blood bank in Dresden has already successfully processed and stored more than 9,000 donations and is now available to patients all over the world for a new life opportunity. Since 2008, 79 patients have benefited from these stem cell preparations of the DKMS umbilical cord blood bank.

Even before birth, pregnant women can decide to donate their baby's umbilical cord blood with little effort. Unfortunately, hardly any pregnant women know about the possibility of umbilical cord blood donation. This simple form of donation can save countless lives.

Decisive advantages

Who is healthy and well, can donate? this applies to mother and child. The risk of rejection by the recipient is even lower because of the still immature immune system of the baby as in the stem cell donation of an adult.

Another big advantage of the donation from the small lifesavers is that the stem cell preparations can be made available worldwide within a few days. If the tissue characteristics of the donor and recipient match, the seriously ill patient does not have to wait long, because the donor does not have to be given medication for days like the classical stem cell donation. In addition, the umbilical cord blood donation carries less risk of infection to the patient with pathogens, such. Viruses.

And for whom do I donate?

The umbilical cord blood donation benefits children and people with rare tissue characteristics who would otherwise not find a donor, because the baby's immune cells are less affected than those of adult donors. The donation can therefore be used under certain conditions, even if it should not fit one hundred percent to the recipient. Since the collection volume and the number of stem cells contained are smaller than in the classical stem cell donation, a single umbilical cord blood donation is in most cases only sufficient for a child.

But there is also the possibility to treat adult patients with it. In this case, provided that the tissue characteristics are consistent, you can apply two or more donations to a patient. If you are pregnant or will be in the future, I can only recommend to you, with your midwife and the medical profession, about the Ways to talk and donate umbilical cord blood. It is so easy.

Text by Dominique Stoll, originally published on her blog lecker-mama.de

Info: Donations are possible in these clinics

So far, the donation of umbilical cord blood is only possible in maternity hospitals, which cooperate with the non-profit DKMS GmbH. An overview of cities and clinics in Germany can be found on the DKMS website. Here you can find more information about blood cancer and stem cell therapy.