Is Cord Blood Banking Right For You?

 

Saving your baby’s umbilical cord blood allows it to be cryogenically stored, and then available if your child later becomes ill and needs a bone marrow transplant. Umbilical cord blood was discarded until the 1970s, when researchers discovered that umbilical cord blood could save lives under certain circumstances. But, how to decide if cord blood banking is right for you? Many soon-to-be parents ask this question very often. Here you have some tips to consider when determining whether or not cord blood banking is right for you.

How is cord blood banking done?

After collecting the cord blood in a maximum of 15 minutes after the baby is born, processing it is the following phase in order to be viable for further medical operations. The processing of cord blood banking includes specific steps. Such as RBC depletion, shipping, and the actual freezing. The freezing or, scientifically said, the cryopreservation is applied within one day after the actual collection, and can be successfully preserved for indefinite years.

Cons of cord blood banking.

Often, cord blood banking can save a baby’s life. But still, there are many other factors to consider. The price seems to be the number one roadblock for the vast majority of parents-to-be with the total cost of around $3,000 US dollars. So, you should certainly not feel guilty if you cannot bank your child’s cord blood. Should you even consider cord blood banking? That part will be up to you.

If you already have a child or family member that has a condition that can be treated with a stem cell transplant (such as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, aplastic anemia, leukemia, metabolic storage disorders, and certain genetic immunodeficiency), then you definitely should consider banking your child’s umbilical cord blood. However, the average baby without risk factors has a very low chance of ever needing his or her cord blood.

On the other hand, some doctors and researchers support saving umbilical cord blood as a source of blood-forming stem cells in every delivery. This is mainly because of the promise that stem-cell research holds for the future. The majority of people would have little use for stem cells now, but research into the use of stem cells to treat disease is ongoing, and the future looks promising.

What are Cord blood banking usage in infant medicine, these are the pros.

There are various pediatric solutions that include using the cord blood. The most major ones are the childhood cancers and blood diseases, including infant leukemia (juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia) or immune system disorders.

All these are usually treated with chemotherapy, which, besides its beneficial effects, also negatively affects some good cells in the body.

A significant cord blood usage in infant medicine is the marrow transplant. This procedure provides new and healthy blood cells, which leads to a safer immune system response of the child.

Share the post!

Some rare genetic diseases require cord blood stem cells. Among these rare disorders are:

Krabbe Disease, which is characterized by causing severe degeneration of mental and motor skills of the child. If receiving the stem cells from the umbilical cord before the actual manifestation of the symptoms, the brain development can be successfully preserved.

Hurler Syndrome, Adrenoleukodystrophy, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Tay-Sachs disease. Sandhoff disease is also other rare and severe conditions that affect the infants and can be successfully treated if using the cord blood stems. Hurlers Syndrome is a genetic and progressive disorder that results from the body’s incapacity to make a significant enzyme. The disease damages many organs, and most importantly, it affects the heart and causes death in the early teens. The Sandoff disorder has a result of the progressive deterioration of the central nervous system, and, like the Krabble disease, it is fatal before the age of 3.

 

Related posts you might find interesting.

Normal 40 weeks pregnancy and baby ultrasound, your complete guide

Normal 39 weeks pregnancy and baby ultrasound, your complete guide.

What to consider before choosing the perfect pediatrician for your baby.

How to create the perfect nursery for your baby on a budget.

Final words about cord blood banking.

Cord blood is not used as a temporary solution in severe medical cases for infants. Cord blood actually provides a new and healthy treatment that increases the safety of the immune system, and prevents further complications.

Overall, cord blood banking looks to have a promising future. It’s definitely an option you should look into. After you’ve studied the facts and your family history, you should be able to make a much more informed decision on what’s right for you. To get the most accurate information, and the companies that can make the cord blood banking process for you, check with your Obstetric doctor.

I hope this informative post was helpful and give you some answers before making a decision about cord blood banking. Stay tuned to the blog for more useful posts in the future.

Zadi, xo.

Disclaimer: The information on this post is for educational and entertainment use only. Under no circumstances, this information is to replace a doctor’s advice.