Stem cells are precious! Let your baby have first crack at them

Immediate cord clamping = robbery of hemopoietic stem cells "vital for
haematologic and immunologic constitution" [Wardrop and Holland 1995; see
below]

PREGNANT WOMEN: Prevent immunologic child abuse. Do NOT let the
obstetrician immediately clamp the cord.

Let your BABY have first crack at stem cells "vital for haematologic and
immunologic constitution."

REMEMBER: No clamping and cord blood banking until AFTER your baby is pink
and breathing and the cord has stopped pulsating and there is no need for
resuscitation.

Once your baby is done with his/her cord/placental blood THEN the
obstetrician can collect what's left for delivery to stem cell researchers
("obstetrician-based cord blood collection" [Pafumi et al. 2002]

Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Todd

Dr. Gastaldo



1995 - STEM CELLS BELONG TO BABIES - DON'T CLAMP QUICKLY


J Perinat Med. 1995;23(1-2):139-43. PubMed abstract

The roles and vital importance of placental blood to the newborn infant.

Wardrop CA, Holland BM.

University of Wales, College of Medicine, Cardiff, South Wales, U.K.

At 30 weeks' gestation, half of the approximately 110 ml/kg total blood
volume (BV) of the feto-placental circulation is in the fetus, rising, by
term, to about 90 ml/kg. In preterm infants at birth, subnormal blood volume
is the rule, because of immediate cord clamping. Blood volume, typically
50-60 ml/kg during critical care, limits systemic oxygen (O2) transport and,
because of shunting, causes hepato-splanchnic ischaemia and impaired lung
function. Haemoconcentration results from plasma extravasation because of
vascular endothelial damage. This elevates the haematocrit, masking the red
cell lack. By allowing placental transfusion at birth, delaying cord
clamping by 30-60 seconds, initial oligovolaemia is obviated, and post-natal
lung adaptation greatly facilitated. The complications and costs of care can
thereby be much reduced. Losses of haemopoietic stem cells are reduced,
vital for haematologic and immunologic constitution and for response to
haemopoietic growth factors. Further work is urgently needed to determine
how to optimize this vital opportunity in preventive medicine in
perinatology, with the objective of preventing complications, and reducing
costs of all kinds, in management of the infant born preterm.




2002 CLAMP QUICKLY - MORE STEM CELLS FOR ADULTS!

Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2002 Jun;19(4):239-45. PubMed abstract (via Lisa
Muscarella via Donna Young)

Two CD34+ stem cells from umbilical cord blood enrichment methods.

Pafumi C, Bosco P, Cavallaro A, Farina M, Leonardi I, Pernicone G, Bandiera
S, Russo A, Giardina P, Chiarenza M, Calogero AE.

Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Catania, Italy.


The authors describe the relation between clamping time and blood volume
collected, and two enrichment systems of CD34+ stem cells from umbilical
cord blood, to determine an excellent recovery with high proliferate ability
and bone marrow reconstitution. After an obstetrician-based cord blood
collection, the purification of stem cells was performed either with a
combination of monoclonal antibodies (negative selections) using the Stem
Sep method, or with a positive cells selection thanks to their surface CD34
antigens, using the Mini Macs system. An excellent recovery of hematopoietic
progenitors, burst-forming unit erythroid, colony-forming unit granulocyte
and macrophage, and colony-forming unit granulocyte, erythroid, monocyte,
and macrophage, inversely related to the rising of clamping time, was
performed with the Mini Macs system (54% of colonies, with a 90% purity),
while with Stem Sep method, hematopoietic progenitor recovery was 35% (with
an 80% purity). By applying early clamping of the umbilical cord blood a
greater number of CD34+ cells was obtained and their clonogenic activity
increased with enrichment. This is particularly useful, considering that the
number of CD34+ stem cells contained in a unit of placental blood is enough
for transplanting to a child, but not for an adult engraftment. Thus, using
this method, a larger number of CD34+ stem cells can be obtained, which
increases the possibility to reduce graft versus host disease also in adult
patients, producing survival rates similar to the ones obtained with
transplantation of bone marrow from unrelated donors.