Cord blood collection is gaining popularity in vigor with every passing year. Its importance is no longer hidden to today"s knowledgeable generation of parents. With stem cells research getting more advanced, the utility of umbilical cord blood is no longer limited to a few ailments. It has been proved that stem cells extracted from it; can help in the treatment of more than 70 diseases which were earlier thought as incurable.
Some of the diseases that can be cured with the help of cord blood are:
Acute Leukemia
Chronic Leukemia
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Stem Cell Disorders
Myeloproliferative Disorders
Lymphoproliferative Disorders
Phagocyte Disorders
Liposomal Storage Diseases
Histiocytic Disorders
Inherited Erythrocyte Abnormalities
Congenital (Inherited) Immune System Disorders
Other Inherited Disorders
Inherited Platelet Abnormalities
Plasma Cell Disorders
Autoimmune Diseases
Brain Tumors
Ewing Sarcoma
Neuroblastoma
Ovarian Cancer
Renal Cell Carcinoma
Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Testicular Cancer
These are just some of the diseases that can be treated with the stem cells preserved in banks. Speaking of banks, as a donor, you need to decide whether you would like to go ahead with a public cord blood bank or a private cord blood bank. Its registry with a private bank is more expensive compared to that in a public bank. Another important difference between these two banks is that in a private bank, your unit of blood is just yours. In a public bank, you will be assured of a matching unit of blood when required, which not necessarily will be your own.
It cannot be collected without the consent of the mother. The mother has to give in writing that she is willing to donate or preserve her baby"s umbilical cord blood for future use. She will have to undergo an elaborate registry procedure which includes medical tests. She will have to inform her doctor before the delivery about her decision, so that no time is wasted in the delivery room.
Cord blood preservation can appear to be an expensive proposition currently, but you can choose to look at it as a health insurance of a different kind. Not only will your child enjoy the benefits, but also her siblings. If you still think that you cannot afford the expense, see it like this, that it would be very helpful to the society if you and your partner think about donating it to a needy family or for medical research.