What is Cord Blood Banking Used For?
Cord blood banking can be a gift of life for your newborn. It is also referred to as biological insurance for the health and wellbeing of your child.
Collecting, testing, processing, and preserving the stem cells of your child is an expensive procedure. Cord blood banking prices involve an upfront registration fee and annual charges to store the stem cells.
Hence, the new parents are facing a crucial choice of whether or not they should store the cord blood of their child. To make an informed decision, you need to understand the process of cord blood banking and its multiple uses.
What is cord blood banking?
Cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and the umbilical cord post-delivery. Due to lack of awareness, the blood was traditionally discarded as medical waste.
However, it is now processed and cryogenically frozen to be used in case of future medical emergencies. The process of extracting, processing, and cryogenically freezing the cord blood is referred to as cord blood banking.
What is cord blood banking used for?
Cord blood banking is used to preserve the lifesaving stem cells present in the cord blood. These stem cells can be used for transfusion in case of future medical emergencies.
Cord blood is a rich source of stem cells and immune system cells. With the latest research, the medical usage and benefits of these cells have been expanding at an exponential rate.
The stem cells can morph into cells of any type. Due to the regenerative nature of these cells, they can be an aid in treating various illnesses and are also referred to as regenerative medicine.
- It can be used for the treatment of various diseases.
At present, cord blood can help in the treatment of eighty rare diseases. Some of these ailments include lymphoma, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, metabolic disorder, etc. Hence, the cord blood of your child can be used for the treatment of any of these eighty diseases, if the need arises.
Also, with various scientists researching the future medical potential of these cells, there is a possibility for more. Studies are being conducted to understand the ability of stem cells to cross the blood-brain barrier and reduce inflammation.
This can help in the treatment of various diseases that were considered incurable. Studies are focusing on exploring the benefits of cord blood in the treatment of autism, cerebral palsy, and Alzheimer’s. Hence, cord blood can be used for the treatment of these diseases in the future.
- It can be used in the treatment of other family members.
If you store the stem cells of your child with a private bank, the cells belong to your family and can be used for the treatment of your family members.
However, this is only possible if the cells are stored with a private bank and not donated to a public bank. The cord blood banking prices in the case of private banks are higher, and there are no charges for donation to a public cord blood bank. Hence, the parents need to make a crucial decision of choosing the right bank.
An affordable cord blood bank of $19.99/month can be extremely helpful. You can store the stem cells of your child without having to bear the high cord blood banking prices.
If you have a family history of rare diseases, it is advisable to store the stem cells of your child with a private cord blood bank. This is also applicable when one of the parents is adopted, and their medical history is unknown. If you have another child suffering from a rare illness, the stem cells of your newborn can be used in their treatment.
These are some of the uses of cord blood banking. Cord blood banking can secure your child’s future health and wellness. Hence, despite the high cord blood banking price, parents must consider storing the cord blood of their child.
