Stem Cell Banking - A Tip for parenting

I heard about stem cell banking when my wife was pregnant. We had only little idea about it, I was very reluctant at the beginning to go for it since we were scared about the risk involved in it. When we later found out the process of collection and advantages of stem cell banking we immediately signed for it.  

What is a Stem Cell?
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have two defining properties: the ability to differentiate into other cells and the ability to self-regenerate. 


What is Stem Cell Therapy?
Stem Cell Therapy is used highly in treatment of following disease

• Leukemia
• Marrow Failure
• Cancer
• Parkinson's disease
• Spinal cord injuries

What is Stem Cell Banking?

When the baby is delivered usually the placenta is removed and thrown as a waste (In some parts of Tamilnadu the portion of placenta will be placed in a metal ( தாயத்து ) and tied around the hip). Researchers have found out that the blood in the placenta is a huge source of stem cells. 

The Procedure

First you have to enroll with a Stem Cell banking service provider. They will give you a cord blood collection kit which you should carry with you during the delivery day. Make sure to store the phone numbers of the service provider and inform them while you are leaving to the hospital. An agent will visit the hospital and will be there till the baby is born. Once the baby is born the agent will collect the cord blood from the placenta and leave.

The collected cord blood cells are processed and the collection report will be sent to you. If there is sufficient stem cell then it will be stored in different quantity and a storage certificate will be sent to you. In case if there is shortage in the stem cell count then the entire amount excluding the processing fee will be refunded.

Who are the service providers in India?

• LifeCell
• CryoBank
• JeevanCell:  Jeevan Cell has a public cell bank where you can  donate the cells. They can use the cells for any matching persons on first come first serve basis. If needed in future you can collect them back by paying the processing and storage charges (If it is still available with them).

How much it costs?

It will cost around Rs. 70000.

FAQ:

1. Does collecting cord blood affect the baby? 

No. Cord blood is collected only after the birth of the baby and after clamping of the cord. The baby is in no way deprived of blood as the routine process of delivery is not interfered with in any way.

2. Does the cord blood collection harm the mother?

No, it does not harm the mother in any way. It is a completely safe, harmless and painless procedure.

3. Who can use the stem cells?

The preserved stem cells are available as a perfect match for the child from whose umbilical cord they were collected. Because there is an increased chance of a match with a sibling, parents may choose to make the stem cells available to siblings or other family members who may need them. That decision is yours to make.

4. I am planning for the delivery in a rural area where the service provider cant come, what should I do?

It is not a problem, you can carry the collection kit and hand it over to the gynecologist who is doing the delivery. The kit has specific instructions which helps them to collect the cord blood and preserve it for 24 hours. After collection you can send it to them. 

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Tear Duck Block - Tip for parenting

When my kid was 3 months old we noticed that his eyes are matted quite often. It was even worse when he wakes up from his sleep; he cannot open his eyes at all. The old fellas at home as usual blamed it on heat and applied head full of oil. Things didn’t improve much and so we made a visit to Mahatma Eye hospital in Trichy.

There he was diagnosed for blockage in tear duct. We were initially worried but then the doctor explained to us that around 50% children have this problem and it can be cured by doing a simple massage. So firs let me explain the root cause of this problem, its symptoms and finally the remedy.

Cause:

Tears are produced to keep our eye moist and also to drain out dust. Tears that are produced passes through the Nasolacrimal duct and drains into the nose. Many kids born without a fully developed duct, may be the duct is too narrow or has a web of tissues that block the duct.  

Symptoms

• Excessive tearing
• Pus in the corner of eye (கண்ணு பொங்கறது)
• Constant Matting of eye

Treatment

Massage

If it is diagnosed in early stages( within 4 months), it can be treated by giving a gentle massage.  

• Wash your hands before doing the massage.
• Apply olive oil or some other oil in the index finger.
• Place your index finger on the side of your child's nose and firmly massage down toward the corner of the nose.  Repeat it 10 times. You can observe the skin turns whitish and pus coming out of the eye.
• Do it 4 times a day.

*Ask your doctor to do the massage and observe it.

The massage is successful 90% times. If your kid still has the same symptoms even after 1 year then a surgical probing is required.  This has an 85% to 95% success rate for kids who are 1 year old or younger; the success rate drops as children get older. Surgical probing may be repeated if it's not initially successful.

Probing

A surgical probe takes about 10 minutes. A thin, blunt metal wire is gently passed through the tear duct to open any obstruction. Sterile saline is then irrigated through the duct into the nose to make sure that there is now an open path. This will be done under general anesthesia.

My kid had blockage in both the eyes. His one eye got cured within a week of massage but the other eye still has the block. He is undergoing Probing in Shankara Netralaya hospital shortly.

*This article is based on my experience. Please always consult your doctor.

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Swallowed Objects - A tip for parenting

Babies and young children generally put almost everything into their mouth, thats how they understand shape and taste of the objects. Most of the objects pass from the throat to the esophagus to the stomach and eventually pass out in stool. Some times it got stuck in the throat which results in choking. One of the nightmare of first time parents is this and I learned it hard way.

On one occasion my friends visited my house and gifted a ring to my kid. After they left, me, my wife and my kid went for grocery shopping. While returning we find the ring missing, when I touch my kids finger it was wet. Panic stuck, we made a frenetic search every where. We went to all the shops we visited and inquired, everyone started advising how to be careful. We couldn't find it anywhere and so thought of taking him to hospital. I told my wife to take him home and get ready while I went another round searching. Luckily I found that ring under my parked car.

On another occasion my kid was playing with a teddy bear. Suddenly I noticed its nose and one eye were missing. Again we searched the entire house and found out the nose, but couldn't find the eye. We took him to the hospital immediately. X-Ray was ruled out since the eye is made of plastic. Doctor told us not to worry since he was playing well. He told us to wait for couple of days and examine his stool carefully OMG (Ithu oru polapa). The doctor also gave a pill which has to be inserted in his anus if he struggle to pass out. It was very frightening, whenever he struggles we don't know whether it was because of constipation or the because he is pushing the object out. Our wait was in vain, nothing turned out.

Here are some of my tips:

• Inspect the room carefully every time you enter the room.
• Don't give raw carrot, nuts, popcorn, hard chocolates, anything difficult to swallow before 18 months.
• If your kid is sitting in the same place for few minutes without playing check the mouth immediately.
• Don't give small objects for the kids to play. Avoid small cars, toy car tires, marbles, beads, safety pin, coins, button battery, busted balloon.
• Before giving any toy check whether it has some broken or loose parts.
• Avoid keeping coins,medicines,hazardous materials reachable to kids.
• If you are ultra rich baby proof your entire house. 

Symptoms: 

• Choking
• Vomiting
• Trouble swallowing
• Making noise while breathing

It is common that kids eat things which should not be eaten like clay, soil, chalk, even snails and small insects. Even pregnant women develop some unusual carving for strange things. Some children begin to like the taste and go on eating it, this condition is called Pica, this may be due to developmental, behavioral problem consult your pediatrician immediately. 

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