Cord Blood is easily defined as blood retrieved from the umbilical cord after the
birth of the child. The cord blood contains stem cells which are considered the
building blocks of blood and immune systems in the body. Stem cells can also be
found in the bone marrow and blood that circulates within the body. However, cord
blood is the most desirable because they are the youngest and have not endured much
aging or damage. The majority of growing families do not even know of the tremendous
advantages of saving their child’s cord blood at birth. This is the only time in
the life of that child that we can obtain and store this life saving cord blood
containing stem cells that may be used to treat a host of serious illness.
Currently,
stem cells from the umbilical cord have already “treated” or “cured” many diseases,
including leukemia’s and sickle cell disease, and the future possibilities appear
plentiful. Furthermore, these umbilical cord blood stem cells are not solely useful
for the donor baby; rather they have been used successfully for siblings and parents
of that child as well. During pregnancy, the umbilical cord provides a lifeline
between mother and child. Remember, harvesting (collecting) of the Umbilical Cord
Blood begins during the birthing process. When the baby is delivered the umbilical
cord is clamped and cut as usual, then the umbilical cord blood containing your
precious stem cells is drained directly from the umbilical cord into a specialized
container provided by Cord Blood Solutions.
Remember, this process is safe, and
in no way can it injure mother or baby! Now, as you read, it may also give life
to that child, a sibling or a parent, years after birth. The blood from within the
umbilical cord contains stem cells which can only be collected at the time of birth.
These precious stem cells are a perfect and unique match for your child. In the
unfortunate event your child, a sibling, or a parent develops a disease, such as
leukemia, these stems cells may be used as a potential cure. Stem cells are the
special cells of the body that have the unique ability to develop into any cell
type in the body.
Although still an emerging area of medical study and technology,
umbilical cord blood stem cells are already useful for treating a variety of illnesses,
including sickle cell disease, as well as greatly improving the chances for bone
marrow transplant matches. Many experts in the field believe that, in the near future,
these cord blood stem cells will even allow organs to be re-grown or regenerated,
and more studies are being conducted to unlock the potential of umbilical cord blood
in future applications for diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart and liver
disease, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury and stroke.
This makes these cells very valuable! Thus, saving these stem cells for your child
represents one of the most promising and exciting medical treatments on the horizon.