There are many things that go through a parent’s mind when they’re having a baby, or at least planning to have one. There are many questions, like where the baby will sleep, what kind of food you’ll give your baby, and so on.
One question that parents often don’t ask themselves is whether or not they should bank their baby’s cord blood. Doing so can be very beneficial.
It’s a shame that more parents don’t go through with the process. Let’s look at some of the ways that having a stem cell plan can benefit you and your family later on down the road.
What is Cord Blood?
Cord blood is found in the placenta and the umbilical cord, and it is rich in stem cells, which are the cells that produce every other blood cell in the body. Since cord blood cells are able to transform into so many different kinds of blood cells, they are excellent for treating diseases that target the immune system and blood.
It is not an experimental treatment, as cord blood transplants have been performed for more than 15 years. The procedure is used to treat things like childhood leukemia and many other types of disorders.
It is important that one makes the distinction between cord blood cells and embryonic stem cells, which are controversial, since the destruction of a human embryo is required to obtain them. Many experts believe that cord blood cells can have the same potential as embryonic stem cells without the ethical concerns.
What Cord Blood Can Do for Your Family
The stem cells that are found in abundance within cord blood can be used to treat blood diseases, such as anemia, cancers, and even some immune system diseases that prevent the body from being able to protect itself against bacteria and viruses correctly.
The blood is extremely easy to harvest, and it contains 10x more stem cells than bone marrow.
Stems cells that are harvested from the cord blood very, very rarely carry any infections or diseases. Plus, they are 50% less likely to be rejected than adult stem cells.
How Cord Blood is Collected
If you choose to have your cord blood harvested, the process is quite simple. First, after you've birthed your little one, the doctor will clamp the umbilical cord in two areas, roughly ten inches apart.
The cord will be cut, and you’ll no longer be attached to your baby. The doctor will then insert a needle into the cord, and collect around 40ml of blood, which will then be sealed in a bag to be sent to a cord blood bank or laboratory to be tested and stored.
This process takes mere minutes, and it is entirely painless, both for you and our baby. The cord bank that harvests the blood might also send tubes so that the mother’s blood may be collected, as well. If this is the case, then the kit that the cord blood bank sends will also have instructions with the tubes.
Your Cord Blood has Been Collected, but Where is it Going?
There are three places that your cord blood can be stored. The first is at a public cord bank.
These banks do not charge a storage fee, and any donation that is made to the company will be available for those who need it. Note that the bank might use donated cord blood for research purposes.
The second is a private (commercial) cord bank. The cord blood that is stored here will only be used by the donor and the donor’s family members.
Storing cord blood here can be quite pricey, though. They usually charge a fee every year for storage and another annual fee for processing.
Finally, you can store your cord blood at a direct-donation bank. In essence, these banks are a combination of private and public banks, and they store cord blood for use by the public. They also accept donations that are reserved for the family and do not charge any fees.
Summary
As you can see, there are many reasons that you should consider putting a stem cell plan together.
They can help if you ever have a baby that is born with a health complication, as the stem cells collected from cord blood can help treat your little one’s condition and might even be able to cure it. This is also true for a sibling. Having a stem cell plan can be seen as your family's insurance for health.
