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Most of the couples think that whether they must store the cord blood of their baby or not? Cord blood banking may not initially appear to carry enough magnitude among various other crucial decisions; however, a close look at the various pros and cons of cord blood preservation may help informed decision-making.
Umbilical cord blood was once thrown away as medical waste, but now stem cells contained in this cord blood are stored to treat various diseases. Doctors prefer to use blood in therapies for stem cell transplantation. It’s because a new host is more tolerant of this blood and can be used without complete matching.
By choosing to preserve the umbilical cord, your child will be eligible for autologous treatment, including cancers such as neuroblastoma. The cord blood cells of the child may be used for type-1 diabetes and cerebral palsy in phase II clinical trials. The cells may also be used in a sibling to treat inherited genetic diseases. If a child needs a donor, a family member’s cells can be used as an allogeneic transplant.
Cord blood cells are more likely to match the genetic type of family members than the stem cells from the bone marrow. Research has shown that both parents and siblings have 25 percent higher chances of matching with newborn cord blood cells. In addition, in the treatment of various malignancies, immune diseases, metabolic disorders, the importance of therapeutic benefits found in cord blood cells is strongly felt. Benefits are still starting to emerge through scientific advances and are providing more parents in a cord blood banking facility to recognize cord blood storage, particularly when it is absolutely harmless and painless!
Umbilical cord blood contains stem cells that your family can preserve and use in the future to treat and cure diseases, as well as devastating injuries. More and more research is being carried out on medical treatments using stem cells of a newborn. There are currently over 70 diseases, including leukemia and other cancers, which have proved beneficial to stem cells.
If you decide to bank the cord blood of your newborn, these stem cells will be preserved and stored specifically for the future use of your family if necessary. When your baby is delivered, there is a small window of opportunity for your doctor to remove the blood from the umbilical cord. It’s painless and your newborn or you are not at risk. Once the cord blood is collected, it is sent to the processing facility of your choice for stem cell preservation. It’s a simple process, but a major investment in your family’s future health and well-being.