Cord blood banking is a relatively new concept. It is only
in the last ten years that parents have seriously begun to
bank their baby's cord blood. While the practice of
banking cord blood is still not common it is becoming more
popular as people begin to learn about its benefits.
Cord blood is the blood that remains in umbilical cord
after a live birth. Currently the umbilical cord along with
the placenta and associated blood are all discarded after
birth. Cord blood stem cells have more extensive uses than
bone marrow stem cells and do not face the controversy that
is associated with embryonic stem cell research.
Cord blood stem cells can develop into various types of
cells such as muscle, nerve or blood cells. Since these
cells can regenerate immune system and repair damaged
cells, they have the potential to treat heart disease,
kidney disease, liver disease, stroke, spinal cord injury,
multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease.
Cord blood may indeed be the way of the future. Currently,
it can treat more than 75 diseases, immune deficiencies and
other conditions. It is effective for treatment of certain
types of cancer, blood disorders and auto-immune diseases.
The cord blood can be used not only by your child, but also
other family members.
In recent stem cell breakthroughs, researchers were able to
develop bone and cartilage, and grow mini liver and lung
cells from cord blood stem cells. These cells can
potentially be transplanted into the body to repair damaged
organs, thus overcoming the severe shortages of organ
donors. Researches are hopeful that cord blood stem cell
transplant can regenerate into organs inside or outside the
body and saves many lives. There is less chance of the body
rejecting the new organ regenerated from your own cord
blood.
There are 2 types of cord blood banks: private and public.
If you want to bank your baby's cord blood for use by your
child or other family members, then you should choose a
private cord blood bank. However, private cord blood
banking can be costly as you have to pay for the cord blood
collection process and annual storage fees. There are cases
you should consider storing cord blood privately. Parents
of children of ethnic minorities are encouraged to bank
their baby's cord blood as it is difficult to find bone
marrow match. Private cord blood banking is also
recommended where there's a family history to diseases only
treatable with cord blood.
Cord blood stored in a public bank can be used by anyone
who needs it.
If you decide to bank your newborn's cord blood, you will
need to choose a cord blood bank ahead of the birth,
typically at least a month or two before the due date. Once
you fill out the paperwork and inform your doctor and
hospital about the decision. Many hospitals are not
equipped to handle this immediate cord blood collection at
the birth and special arrangements may need to be made.
The cord blood will be collected and returned to the bank
of your choice to be stored for later use if needed.
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Cord blood banking is an insurance against future diseases.
There have been several cord blood stem cell breakthroughs
in recent years. Learn about the miracle of cord blood by
visiting http://www.storingcordblood.com/art-bank
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