Umbilical Cord Blood Banking: A New Life Saving Potential

This could be new and weird information for anyone, but umbilical cord blood banking can actually be a better way of saving lives.  Giving birth to a child always brings happiness both to the parents and the people around them.  This pure happiness the parents feel is never tainted and the overall well-being of the new-born child is the only thing on the parents’ mind.

But it is also rightful to think of some possibilities (though, of course, we do not wish them to happen) that some serious illness might affect the baby’s health in the future. Because of their immeasurable love to their baby, some parents choose to bank their newborn’s cord blood. So, what is umbilical cord blood banking, and is it right for you?

 

Facts About Umbilical Cord Blood Banking

 

What is umbilical cord blood banking? 

The blood that is left in your baby's umbilical cord after it has been cut is rich in stem cells which are genetically unique to your baby and your family. Umbilical cord blood banking is the process of preserving of your newborn baby's stem cells for future medical uses to treat life-threatening conditions and diseases. Your baby’s cord blood is usually just thrown away after birth. Why would you lose the opportunity of saving lives in the future?

How does it work?

The cord blood collection takes place shortly after birth in both vaginal and cesarean (C-section) deliveries. The collection process should be swift, as they can only be collected a few minutes after you baby is born.

How is umbilical cord blood collected? 

The collection of the cord blood is painless and is the first step in the procedure. This can be performed after the baby is born and usually takes less than five minutes.

What happens to the cord blood after it is collected? 

After your baby's cord blood has been collected and sealed, the cord blood will then be transferred to a processing laboratory by medical courier for treatment and future storage.

What are the pros and cons?

The primary reason that parents consider banking their newborn's cord blood is because they see the situation as the best way to preserve blood for future medical uses to treat life-threatening conditions and diseases.

If you are concerned about the risks the procedure brings to the health of both the mother and baby at the time of collection, we can say they are low, but they do exist.

Finally, consider this fact.  More than seventy five percent of the people treat life-threatening conditions and diseases cannot find blood match for them.  The process of umbilical cord blood banking and storage opens a new life saving point. Your new-born baby could be an agent for a new life solution!

Ann Cervales, Davao City, Philippines