If you are pregnant, you probably have received information about cord blood banking. This is an opportunity for you to bank your child’s umbilical cord blood. When cord blood is banked, it is stored so that at a later time, it can be used when needed. There are several key reasons why anyone should consider cord blood banking.
However, a large number of curious expecting couples are interested in knowing more about umbilical cord blood banking. Unfortunately, a lot of rumors and misleading facts are going around regarding cord blood banking. It’s important to have a clear understanding of this significant step that can prove to be a life savior!
There is no risk, either to the mother or her baby, in collecting umbilical cord blood. On the contrary, peripheral or bone marrow blood stem cell collection requires the donor to pass through insidious medical procedure and there is a risk of infection.
If there is a family medical history or your child has a predisposition to any of these diseases, you should seriously consider cord blood banking. Parents of children of ethnic or racial minorities and children conceived through in vitro fetilization are encouraged to bank cord blood as it is more difficult to find bone marrow match in these cases. Only 50% of people that need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant are likely to find a suitable donor to provide it.
There are two ways to store your baby’s cord blood. If you choose public cord blood banking, your baby’s blood is taken from the umbilical cord, stored cryogenically and can be used by anyone that is in need of it. However, cord blood that is stored in a private bank can only be used for your child or other family members when required.
Another concern by mothers when it comes to cord blood banking is how safe will cord blood banking be for the baby as well as for the mother; if there will be any pain or discomfort involved in the whole cord blood banking process. When it comes to cord blood banking, the first priority will always be the well being of the baby.
The Unites States has several companies dealing with cord blood banking. The most popular among them are Cord Blood Registry and ViaCord. If you are interested in cord blood banking, then you need to take a second look at your wallet.
