Saving Your Baby’s Cord Blood
If you have a baby on the way, this is something you might want to know about; it’s called cord blood banking. Cord blood banking is a procedure where blood is taken from your baby’s umbilical cord after birth and then either saved for private or public use. It must be emphasized that this is a harmless process done by clamping and cutting the cord and then drawing blood from it with a syringe. Cord blood banking has increased in popularity over the past few years as more and more people are becoming familiar with it and recognizing it’s benefits.
Why You Might Want To Save Cord Blood
Now what’s so special about this blood exactly? Blood from the umbilical cord contains hematopoietic stem cells, which are incredibly special because unlike other cells that can only make direct copies of themselves, these stem cells can become many different kinds of blood cells in the body. These incredible stem cells can also be used to treat over 70 different diseases including: immune disorders, genetic disorders, and neurological disorders. It can even be used to help treat certain types of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma.
Where And How To Store Cord Blood
If you decide that you do want your baby’s cord blood to be drawn, you have several options for what you can do with it. You can choose to have it frozen and saved in case your baby or anyone in your family might need it. After being frozen, cord blood can generally remain viable for 20 plus years. If you have someone in your family who currently suffers from one of these diseases and is a match, they may be able to use your baby’s cord blood as treatment. You can also choose to have the blood donated so that it can be used to help treat others. Where you end up storing your baby’s cord blood depends on what you intend to do with it. For example, if you choose to have the blood saved for private use within your family, it will be kept in a private blood bank. This will require an initial and yearly fee that is often not covered by insurance. However, if you choose to have it stored in a public blood bank so that it can be used to treat others, there is no charge.
If you are interested in saving your baby’s cord blood, you should contact your desired blood bank at least 6 weeks before your due date, but the earlier the better so that you can obtain a collection kit plenty of time in advance. You will also need to discuss this procedure with your provider to make sure that it is a service they provide and to see if there is an additional collection fee.
You Can Do This!
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