Cord Blood Banking- Everything you Need to Know

Being a parent can be a monumental experience, one that comes with a host of advice and information at your disposal. If you are a first-time parent, you will have to learn a lot of things that you are not aware of like birth outcomes and breastfeeding. However, one relatively new concept that parents are coming to know is cord blood banking. The umbilical cord blood of a baby is a rich source of blood stem cells, which are the building blocks of the blood and immune system.

They are capable of developing into other types of cells, which means they can be used for repairing blood vessels, tissues and organs. They can be used for treating a host of diseases. But, what makes the cord blood a unique commodity is the fact that even though it contains the same stem cells as in the bone marrow, these cells are less mature. Therefore, the recipient’s body is less likely to reject these cells. Cord blood banking is a way of preserving these potentially life-saving cells, which are usually thrown away at birth.

Parents have the option of either privately banking these cells for a fee or for donating these cells to public banks free of cost. Why should you pay money for cord blood banking? These cells can prove to be invaluable in the future and they are being used for treatment of numerous diseases. There are a wide array of diseases that can be treated with cord blood, which include blood disorders, cancers, metabolic disorders, immune disorders, bone marrow failure syndromes and more.

As a matter of fact, cord blood has also been used in regenerative medicine for treatment of Type I diabetes, cerebral palsy and autism. Banking cord blood ensures it will always be available to help your baby, if it is required.