Benefits of Cord Blood to be know by Expectant Parents
The blood in a baby’s umbilical cord has the power to save lives. By choosing to bank this cord blood, parents could help their child, a family member or even a stranger. Expectant parents need to know more about cord blood benefits and called it for more education amongst expectant parents about cord blood banking.
“Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are a medical resource that is increasingly being used to save lives, and our new brochure is designed to ensure that more pregnant women have the opportunity to consider saving cord blood from their newborn for family use or donate cord blood to others who may have a critical medical need.”
Umbilical cord blood: That blood remains in the newborn’s umbilical cord immediately after birth contains a diverse population of stem cells that have different features and benefits compared with other sources of stem cells. Since blood cord stem cells are immunologically younger than other “adult” stem cell sources, they show greater versatility and flexibility when used in transplantation. In addition, cord blood stem cells have shown the ability to proliferate and develop into all major cell types in the body.
Benefits of Cod Blood:
1. Medical research is developing new therapies where stem cells help the body to repair itself, called regenerative medicine. So far, these therapies require the patient’s own stem cells, not those from a donor. Children who have their own cord blood in storage may have more medical options later in life.
2. Most of the diseases for which children receive stem cell transplants, including most cancers and all genetic diseases, require that the cells come from another person, not the patient. Transplants among adults are split pretty evenly between transplants with the patient’s own cells and transplants from a matching donor.
3. Except in cases of rare medical complications, most mothers are eligible for family (also known as private) cord blood banking. No matter where you live or where you will deliver the baby, you can obtain a collection kit to take with you to the hospital which includes instructions on how to ship the blood to the lab. If you do wish to bank privately, be sure to discuss your decision with your delivery team and check if there are any special requirements at the hospital where you plan to deliver.
4. If there is a chance that your baby’s cord blood might be needed to treat a family member, then you may be eligible to receive free cord blood storage in a bank which offers a related donor program.
You always have the choice to do nothing and let the cord blood be discarded after birth. The choice to save the blood for the family is usually open to any family that can afford the cost. The choice to donate to a public bank is only available to mothers who meet the eligibility criteria. Whatever choices you have and whatever decision you make, remember there is no single correct answer for all families. Only you know which choice feels right for you and your family.
Birth is the only opportunity where parents can collect and bank their child’s cord blood for future medical use or donate it to a public bank.
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