In light of National Cord Blood Awareness Month, our Full Circle Health Care wellness team wants to share some valuable information about the benefits of cord blood banking and how it can potentially save your baby's or someone else's life in the future.
What is cord blood?
Cord blood is the blood found in your baby's umbilical cord. It contains life-saving stem cells that can grow into blood vessels, organs and tissues.
A baby's cord blood can be collected at birth and stored for use in the future.
What is cord blood banking?
Cord blood banking is when blood left in your newborn's umbilical cord and placenta is collected and stored for future medical purposes.
When it comes to cord blood storage, you have two options:
1. You can donate your baby's cord blood to a public cord blood bank for anyone who needs it.
2. You can pay to store your baby's cord blood in a family cord blood bank for later use by your baby or another relative.
How is cord blood collected?
Collecting cord blood is a simple, safe and painless procedure that usually takes about five minutes and happens right after birth.
When the umbilical cord has been cut, the leftover blood in the cord is saved. The cord blood is then sent to a laboratory, processed and frozen for long-term preservation.
What are the benefits of cord blood banking?
Cord blood is a great source of blood stem cells, which are the powerhouse of the blood and immune system.
Additionally, stem cells can help repair tissues, organs or blood vessels and can be used to treat more than 80 types of diseases.
Which diseases can be treated with cord blood?
Certain types of:
- Cancers
- Bone marrow failure syndromes
- Blood disorders
- Metabolic disorders
- Immunodeficiencies
How much cord blood is stored in the United States, and where is it located?
More than 1 million units of cord blood are stored in family banks in the U.S. today.
Bringing a new life into this world can be one of the most unique experiences you endure throughout your adulthood. Our experienced medical team at Full Circle Health Care can provide you with all the information you need to be as healthy as possible while you are expecting.
For information about our pregnancy counseling or other prenatal care services, click here.
Here's to happy, healthy pregnancy!
~ Your Full Circle Health Care Wellness Team
References: http://www.babycenter.com/0_cord-blood-banking-what-it-is-why-consider-it_1362261.bc
No comments:
Post a Comment