5 Reasons Why You Should Bank Your Baby’s Cord Blood
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There is a long list of things you need to prepare as the birth of your baby nears. So, have you already purchased baby must-haves, such as pacifiers, diapers, or secure car seats?
Next, you should take steps to ensure your baby’s safety and health before they are even born.
One of them is cord blood banking that has gained immense popularity over the past few years.
In the past, a baby’s umbilical cord used to be thrown away at birth. Today, many parents store it to secure their kids’ health in the future.
Want to learn more about cord blood banking and its importance? Read on!
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Securing your Kid’s Health
Cord blood banking is a process of collecting stem cells from the umbilical cord and placenta and storing them for future use. Cord blood is a source of immature cells that can assume the form of other cells. When you need it, stem cells create billions of new red and white blood cells to replace and rebuild diseased ones.
Stem cells can treat cancer, blood diseases, and even certain immune system disorders f.
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Treating a Wide Range of Diseases
As mentioned above, bone marrow transplants or a baby’s cord blood are used in the treatment of a wide array of diseases. Here are some of them:
- Acute leukemia
- Amegakaryocytosis or congenital thrombocytopenia
- Aplastic anemia or refractory anemia
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- Myelodysplastic syndrome of another myelodysplastic disorder
- Osteopetrosis
- Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
- Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
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It is a Unique Opportunity for You
Cord blood is the richest source of stem cells in the human body. It has ten times more stem cells compared to those collected from bone marrow.
However, placental tissue stem cells can only be collected at birth. Therefore, cord blood banking is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to capture and preserve your kid’s stem cells from their cord blood.
For you as a parent, this decision can secure your baby’s ongoing good health and put your mind at ease.
Using your Relatives’ Cord Blood is More Effective
People who do not bank their cord blood cells need to use ones from unrelated donors. A stem cell transplant requires patients and donors to have matching human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types.
Unsurprisingly, studies show that using your kid’s cord blood increases the odds of a successful transplant.
Children inherit HLA types from parents. Therefore, by banking your baby’s cord blood, you ensure they will one day have a 100% HLA match if they ever need a stem cell transplant. Additionally, your baby’s stem cells can also be a good match for close family members.
Science is Continuously Moving Forward
Science is continuously evolving. The use of stem cells in treating other diseases has been studied for quite some time now.
For example, researchers have been assessing the effect of cord blood cells on type-one diabetes, heart diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury, brain injury, etc.
How Cord Blood Banking Works
After the birth, the blood is taken from the cord and sent to a bank for further testing and storage. The process only takes several minutes and is painless for both moms and babies.
So, where your baby’s cord blood stem cells are stored?
You can choose between public and private cord blood banks.
Public banks do not charge anything for storing stem cells. The service is available to anyone through the national registry. However, any donation is made available for anyone who needs it and can even be used for research.
On the other hand, in private banking, stem cells from cord blood are held for your baby or family members. These stem cells can be used to treat both your newborn, as well as their first- or second-degree relatives. That includes moms, dads, siblings, grandmas, and grandpas. Private banking is the opportunity to give your entire family access to regenerative stem cell medicine.
Storing Cord Blood Stem Cells Saves Lives
The benefits of banking your baby’s cord blood are multiple. They can save your kid’s or even family member’s lives in the future. Most importantly, stem cells from cord blood are used in treating a wide range of diseases. However, do not forget that cord blood banking is a one-time opportunity for parents. It can only be done at birth, so make the right decision on time.
Have you ever considered banking your baby’s cord blood? Please, share your thoughts and opinions on this with us!
Eve Anderson is a marketing specialist turned blogger. Interested in sports and exciting travel destinations. Love to share content that can inform people.
