Cord blood banking guide

Cord blood is the blood that is in the umbilical cord of a newborn infant. Umbilical blood cord has been found to be rich source of important stem cells. Stem cells are known to have good source of regenerative cells. They are also known to be the main source of blood cells in the body.

Stem cells derived from cord blood is known to have enough properties to satisfy the red blood cell requirements of the body. It is known to provide answers to more than 70 diseases including fatal ones like leukemia, lymphoma, and different kinds of cancer. Cord blood banking is a new medical science branch. Understanding its basic procedure and how it can go about is one of the most important things that each would be parents should understand.

What is Cord Blood?

In normal circumstances, the umbilical cord is discarded as a hospital waste. With the discovery of stem cells in cord blood, would be parents are now encouraged to either save the blood or donate it.

The blood left inside the babys umbilical cord contains stem cells. Stem cells are considered immature cells that are similar to those found in bone marrow of the body, these are the cells that are responsible for producing mature cells like red blood cells. Stem cells are amazing since they can easily replicate and develop in other cells replacing the damaged or depleted cells.

How Stem Cells Work

Stem cells are one of the most amazing kinds of cells. In most healthy people it can replenish the cells found inside the body. When a person is sick or suffering from auto immune disorders, their body could easily deplete the white blood cells. Stem cells can divide and form white blood cells to cover for the missing or depleted ones.

Cord Blood Banking Guide

Cord blood banking is a wise investment for parents whose children may have high risk in developing auto immune diseases. Moreover, it is a great insurance for any parents since they can rely on the cord blood to provide answers for any disease that their children may have.

Stem cell research continues to progress today. There are plenty of other diseases that stem cells are known to help. Cord blood that is properly stored can also for an indefinite time. This means that even if your child becomes an adult he/she can still use the cord blood stored many years ago.

Cord blood banking is very useful for people with mixed ethnic backgrounds, or those who parents are not from the same race. This is because there are little chances of getting a suitable donor for bone marrow transplant in case they will need it. Umbilical cord blood are also known to pose less rejection from patients since the cells in these blood are practically new they will not be attacked and attacking other cells in the body.

Once the cord blood is harvested successfully, they will be tested for eligibility to be stored. Any diseases found, the new parents are immediately notified another great advantage of going through such procedure. When the cord meets all the criteria, it will be processed then stored in special bags where it will be stored in sealed and very cold environment (up to -190 degrees). This blood can be readily retrieved anytime that you will need it.

Cord blood banking is a little pricey since the procedure is not yet very common. The harvesting and initial storing can range from $1500 to $2000. Annual storing fee is usually around $80 – $100. There are some storage facilities who will help you with a payment plan in case the prices can be too high.