Last week as a result of the case of the Erine girl who has received an umbilical cord cell transplant from her little sister, we stressed the need to establish some banks of this type of cells in Spain, since the existing needs are not currently covered For these children.
Precisely, on March 18 the National Cord Blood Cord Plan by the Transplant Commission of the Interterritorial Health Council. In it, it is contemplated that the cord blood units that we have stored in Spain must be increased to at least double the number of existing ones, that is, of the current 29.00, they must be reach 60,000, in the next eight years. There are currently six cord banks in Spain, whose headquarters are located in Malaga, Barcelona (which also includes Aragon and Balearic Islands), Galicia, Madrid, Valencian Community and Tenerife.
It is necessary that at least in each Autonomous Community there is a maternity where the umbilical cord can be donated if desired, something that does not happen now. Thanks to this Plan, agreements have been reached between communities so that at least those that lack banks can use those of their neighbors.
At that time, there are only deposits for 30-40 percent of the patients who need them. Curiously and despite this figure, we are the second country in the world, after the United States, in quantity in absolute numbers of units stored.
The importance of these banks is that only 30 percent of patients who require this type of transplant have a relative whose cells are compatible and can donate. Unfortunately, among patients who do not have this family member, only 40-50 percent can find an unrelated donor and perform the transplant.
Via | The World In Babies and more | Saved thanks to her sister In Babies and more | Umbilical cord blood banks
