Blood Cord Bank: New Blood for New Life
by Hope Ocampo
When blood cord banking came into existence, hope for new medical possibilities came to be. An alternative has been opened, a new, better choice
for our health needs. Blood cord banking or cord blood banking is a relatively new addition in the medical realm.
Blood cord banking is the process of preserving blood from a new born baby's umbilical cord and placenta. The concept of blood cord banking starts immediately as soon as a mother gives birth, the blood in the umbilical cord and placenta is immediately preserved through freezing kept in a depository until such time in the future as when that same baby, all grown up, will be needing, if ever, a transplant of the bone marrow or for treatment of leukemia or Fanconi's Anemia.
As the blood cord banking concept is still in its infancy stage, starting just in the mid 90s, research and studies on the subject have still to positively conclude its full medicinal benefits. Despite this however, many blood cord banks have come into existence transplants of umbilical blood cord have been successful in the treatment of diseases of the immune and blood systems. Leukemia and Fanconi's Anemia are just some of the diseases treated by umbilical cord blood. In Fanconi's Anemia alone, 2000 patients have undergone this procedure.
Formerly viewed as birth medicinal waste, umbilical cord blood due to its high demand, is now a valuable commodity because it is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, progenitor cells that produce red blood cells, it also has white blood cells and platelets.
Umbilical cord blood is abundant in blood cells that are proven to restock the bone marrow. It is proven that blood cord is rich in stem cells that rejuvenate the bone marrow. Stem cells form part of our body's blood and immune system and they have the capability to rejuvenate the other cells in our body's system thus can be a potent cure versus the dreaded cancer diseases that wreak havoc on man. Blood cord banking is like a new blood for a new life for man.
Many parents have started banking their new borne children's umbilical cord, doubling in number every year. As a result, more and more blood cord banking companies have come into existence. Cord Blood donation is likewise medically safe, posing no risks to the health of the mother and the infant. Collection of the blood cord does not harm you or your baby since the process is done after you have given birth.
You as an expectant parent should weigh the choices you have, would you bank your newborn's cord blood? Or should you not? Do the long term medical benefits that you are even not assured of needing in the future far outweigh the reality of the current high costs of preserving and banking your child's cord blood?
You know, its not remote that scientists researching on its usefulness will discover more cures for cord blood for other diseases. The procedure of collecting cord blood is simple and painless for both you and your infant and likewise there are no health risks involved. There are many public blood cord banks that accept donations for use by the public, donated cord blood is lost to the donor forever. Private, for-profit blood cord banks however charge an average of $2,000.00 to collect and preserve the umbilical cord blood for possible use of the child or family in the future.
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