Benefits of Cord Blood

by Renee Dietz | More from this Blogger

23 Sep 2006 09:53 AM

While most people embrace new technology and medical procedures, especially when they have the potential of saving baby's lives and giving them a perfectly healthy future, other people are not quite so sure. One such procedure discovered is the use of blood from a baby's umbilical cord. The fact is that this blood is more precious than gold. The stem cells found in the blood could one-day be used by the same child should he or she ever be faced with cancer, thus needing a bone marrow transplant. However, the other possibility is using the blood to help another child, perhaps coming close enough to a match, thus helping to save a life.

We actually see an increase in the number of parents wishing to store cord blood. For instance, if you come from a family that has a disposition for things like leukemia, bone cancer, and so on, this stored blood provides a perfect match for the baby and possibly other members of the family. Keep in mind that taking blood from the umbilical cord is not a big issue. The umbilical cord is already cut so the baby feels absolutely no pain. In fact, this blood is usually thrown out in the trash. This discovery is incredible, forever changing our world from a medical perspective.

If it were not for cord blood, the other option is for actual bone marrow cells to be harvested. In addition to this procedure being extremely painful, there is always the possibility of not getting a good enough match to help. Then of course, you have the financial aspect, which can be extremely costly, many times with insurance companies not stepping up to the plate to help. With blood from the umbilical cord, the extraction is quick and easy. This means the baby and parents have no waiting time, and success rates using the stem cells of the blood have shown to be highly successful now in 45 cases of malignant and non-malignant disease.

When trying to make the decision as to save your baby's blood from the umbilical cord, remind yourself of all the benefits and children living because of this step forward in medical technology. As an example, the most common use for cord blood is to treat various forms of cancer, again leukemia, along with testicular cancer and multiple forms of melanoma. In addition, several different types of inborn metabolism errors can be corrected, some which include bare-lymphocyte syndrome and Hurler syndrome. Finally, hemoglobinopathies, blood disorders, and immune deficiencies are remarkably changed by using stored cord blood.

Learn more about Renee Dietz

I have been a successful, published writer for the past 26 years, offering a writing style that is informative, creative, and reader-friendly.

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