>For years, doctors have discarded the umbilical cord and the placenta after delivery without realizing the immense potential these organs have! Things are changing now, people today are more aware of the latest developments in science and technology and more and more people are taking cord blood banking seriously.
Regardless of what some people say, extracting cord blood from the umbilical cord for your baby and storing it in a cord blood bank is not harmful for you and your baby. The cord blood is drained after your baby is delivered and the umbilical cord is disconnected from your baby. But, why umbilical cord blood? The reason is though bone marrow can supply stem cells, the quality and quantity is a lot better in the umbilical cord. Besides, if a person has his own stem cells, he does not have to depend on others for donation. He is his own donor in cases of emergency. It is not necessary that his siblings with the similar genetic set up will be near him all the time. The cord blood you had preserved for him will be his savior. Speaking of siblings, have you ever thought that the cord blood that you have saved and stored in a cord blood bank could actually be of great use to the older siblings your baby may already have.
Incase you are worrying about the expenses of saving your baby’s cord blood, a suggestion is that you can look at it as insurance for your family. And finally after a few years, if you see that your child is growing up with no health concern, you can choose to sell the cord blood to a needy family. Not interested in selling your baby’s cord blood? Ok, you can donate it too. Public cord blood donation banks take cord blood for donations. Your baby’s cord blood will bring smiles to many faces!
Ok, you have decided in favor of cord blood banking. But which are the diseases which can be treated. Stem cells are being used to treat numerous diseases. The specialty of stem cells is that it can adjust anywhere. Here are some diseases which can be cured by cord blood stem cells.
Acute Leukemia
Chronic Leukemia
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Stem Cell Disorders
Myeloproliferative Disorders
Lymphoproliferative Disorders
Phagocyte Disorders
Liposomal Storage Diseases
Histiocytic Disorders
Inherited Erythrocyte Abnormalities
Congenital (Inherited) Immune System
Disorders
Other Inherited Disorders
Inherited Platelet Abnormalities,
Plasma Cell Disorders
Autoimmune Diseases
Brain Tumors
Ewing Sarcoma
Neuroblastoma
Ovarian Cancer
Renal Cell Carcinoma
Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Testicular Cancer.
Cord blood banking is a relatively new concept. Research is being made on how to utilize it effectively for the benefit of mankind. If you are not interested in preserving your umbilical cord blood for your family in a private cord blood bank, you can donate it for research. Cord blood banking is picking up with every passing day. Would you like to be a part of the revolution?
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Selasa, 20 Juli 2010
Senin, 19 Juli 2010
Protect the Future of Your Family with Umbilical Cord Blood Banking
All parents love to welcome newborn babies into their family. They try to make their newborn as comfortable as possible. The birth of a baby not only brings happiness, but also new responsibilities for the parents. Most of the parents feel that the most important and foremost thing that they must do, is immunize their baby. Unfortunately, a lot of people are unaware of the importance of cord blood. Cord blood refers to the blood found inside the placenta and the umbilical cord after the birth of a baby. The blood is extracted from the umbilical cord and it is mainly collected for the presence of stem cells and other hematopoietic cells, which are vital for the treatment of blood and other genetic disorders. Stem cells are also known as the building blocks of our body, which helps the organ, regenerate and heal.
Cord blood storage promises a safer future for your baby and the rest of your family. It is mainly used in the field of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine includes the replacement or repair of an organ, which has been lost or damaged due to aging, disease or some other congenital problems. This type of treatment allows the organs to heal themselves by stimulating the existing cells. Regenerative medicine also allows the scientists to grow artificial organs in the laboratory and then place them inside the body of the patient. This can prove to be very beneficial for those patients who need organ replacement, but are unable to find one due to acute shortage of organ donors. Cord Blood Storage is very important for regenerative medicine as it contains stem cells, which can be used to treat diseases such as; brain injury, diabetes and in the treatment of cardiovascular problems.
The stem cells in the cord blood have the ability to heal approximately 80 diseases, which includes cancer, metabolic disorder, blood disorder, bone marrow failure syndromes, and other immune system deficiencies. A recent study has found that injected cord blood stem cells can slower the decline of insulin production in babies with type 1 diabetes. The studies have also shown positive effect on cardiovascular injuries and in the treatment of brain injury. Cord blood storage can also help the other members of the family, as organ transplants by close relatives tend to be more successful compared to unrelated donor transplants. Nowadays, you will be able to find numerous cord blood banks, which offer you easy cord blood collection options.
Due to its future potential, umbilical cord blood banking has become quite popular resulting in the formation of cord blood banks. One of the pioneers amongst the numerous cord blood banks is familycord.com. They allow you to store the cord blood in their blood bank in exchange of an annual fee, which varies according to the time for which to wish to save the blood. For instance, if you wish to save the cord blood in the bank for one year you need to pay $125 annually, whereas saving the cord blood for twenty years would cost you around $90 per year. Discounts of up to $600 are also available for students, military service providers, health care providers, twins and triplets.
This California based cryo bank company familycord.com was found in 1997; however its cryogenic services have been availed by people since 1977. Today in the field of umbilical cord blood banking family cord has come as a relief for many families. It has so far been successfully used to treat blood cancer, which is one of the most life threatening diseases in the world. Further research is being carried out to check the efficiency of cord blood stem cells in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, Cerebral Palsy, stroke, Spinal cord injury, heart disease and diabetes. Umbilical Cord blood banking is especially beneficial for those families who have a history of the aforementioned diseases in their family. The cord blood collection procedure is relative simple and it only takes around 5 or 10 minutes. However, this little time can help your baby as well as the other members of your family. So go and contact familycord.com today to have a better future tomorrow!
Rabu, 14 Juli 2010
Umbilical Cord Blood of Babies
Umbilical Cord Blood
Some call it “insurance.” Others call it “the chance of a lifetime.” At one time it was discarded as “medical waste.” The substance at issue is cord blood, or blood taken from the placenta and umbilical cord at the time of birth. Why is cord blood, once discarded as part of the afterbirth, such an item of discussion in medicine nowadays?
Stem Cells
The answer is simple: Stem Cells. A baby's cord blood is an abundant source of stem cells. And stem cells are the building blocks of bodies. Stem cells are important because they have the potential of becoming any sort of cell the body may require – skin, brain, blood, etc. They are important in research, especially in the science of regeneration, a new field of medicine that's attempting to understand how damaged tissue can replace itself. They are also becoming more and more useful in the treatment of genetic diseases including leukemia and sickle cell disease.
How It's Collected
Collecting cord blood is a very simple and safe procedure. Cord blood can be collected no matter how the delivery takes place – vaginally or by cesarean. The collection process takes five minutes, more or less, and is done within the first quarter-hour of birth. The retrieval of the cord blood is done after the umbilical has been cut, further lessening any chance of discomfort or harm. The only caveat given to medical professionals presiding at the birth is to not clamp the cord too soon after delivery, but that precaution is usually taken with all births.
Cord blood is harvested in two ways – bag and syringe. Bag: The placenta and umbilical cord are held aloft and the cord blood is allowed to drain into a sterile bag. Syringe: A syringe is used to pull blood from the umbilical cord in an action not much different than drawing a specimen for a blood test. The cord blood is then sent to a laboratory for processing and cryogenically frozen within 48 hours of the birth.
Cord Blood as Insurance
Some families are genetically prone to certain diseases. So, banking an infant's cord blood could provide a family with a sort of insurance. The cord blood is a source of stem cells that are genetically distinctive to the infant and the family. The stem cells would be useful should the infant him or herself develop certain diseases as he or she matures. The distinctive stem cells could also be used for parents or siblings should a disease rise. Families in this situation should give serious thought to employing a cord-blood banking facility.
Cord Blood as the Chance of a Lifetime
Both the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends public banking of cord blood. They state that no reason exists why families could not or should not donate cord blood. They see it as “the chance of a lifetime” to make a difference in someone else's life. They have the statistics to prove that the likelihood of matching cord blood for most children in a public bank is greater than 90 percent.
Ethics
Doctors in general encourage families to donate to a public bank as that will offer a greater chance of stem cells being made available to many populations. Many foundations, not-for-profit blood banks, and medical institutions will collect and process donated cord blood. The only other sources for stem cells comes from bone marrow donors or laboratory embryos. Bone marrow recipients are more likely to reject donated marrow. The use of embryos in laboratories presents ethical issues to medical communities and society at large.
Costs
Storage of a newborn's umbilical cord blood with a private bank can range from $1,000 to $3,000 up front to cover the cost of a cord-blood collection kit, courier service to the cord-blood bank, and initial processing. Yearly storage fees can range from $85 to $125. Obstetricians or other health care professionals may charge for their collection services.
Public cord-blood banking is free and the donation is entered into a public system where it becomes available to anyone who needs it. ObGyns or similar healthcare personnel usually donate their time and the public cord-blood banks provide free cord-blood kits.
Learn More About Cord-blood Banking
Storing a baby's cord blood should be done with a cord-blood bank accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). There are a number of cord blood banks that are accredited by the AABB. Most offer information on cord blood banking as well as provide private cord blood banking services. You should be able to locate a reputable cord-blood bank online. Consult your ObGyn or other health care professionals for advice on making a public donation. Or, again, check the Web by punching “Cord Blood” into your search engine.
Some call it “insurance.” Others call it “the chance of a lifetime.” At one time it was discarded as “medical waste.” The substance at issue is cord blood, or blood taken from the placenta and umbilical cord at the time of birth. Why is cord blood, once discarded as part of the afterbirth, such an item of discussion in medicine nowadays?
Stem Cells
The answer is simple: Stem Cells. A baby's cord blood is an abundant source of stem cells. And stem cells are the building blocks of bodies. Stem cells are important because they have the potential of becoming any sort of cell the body may require – skin, brain, blood, etc. They are important in research, especially in the science of regeneration, a new field of medicine that's attempting to understand how damaged tissue can replace itself. They are also becoming more and more useful in the treatment of genetic diseases including leukemia and sickle cell disease.
How It's Collected
Collecting cord blood is a very simple and safe procedure. Cord blood can be collected no matter how the delivery takes place – vaginally or by cesarean. The collection process takes five minutes, more or less, and is done within the first quarter-hour of birth. The retrieval of the cord blood is done after the umbilical has been cut, further lessening any chance of discomfort or harm. The only caveat given to medical professionals presiding at the birth is to not clamp the cord too soon after delivery, but that precaution is usually taken with all births.
Cord blood is harvested in two ways – bag and syringe. Bag: The placenta and umbilical cord are held aloft and the cord blood is allowed to drain into a sterile bag. Syringe: A syringe is used to pull blood from the umbilical cord in an action not much different than drawing a specimen for a blood test. The cord blood is then sent to a laboratory for processing and cryogenically frozen within 48 hours of the birth.
Cord Blood as Insurance
Some families are genetically prone to certain diseases. So, banking an infant's cord blood could provide a family with a sort of insurance. The cord blood is a source of stem cells that are genetically distinctive to the infant and the family. The stem cells would be useful should the infant him or herself develop certain diseases as he or she matures. The distinctive stem cells could also be used for parents or siblings should a disease rise. Families in this situation should give serious thought to employing a cord-blood banking facility.
Cord Blood as the Chance of a Lifetime
Both the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends public banking of cord blood. They state that no reason exists why families could not or should not donate cord blood. They see it as “the chance of a lifetime” to make a difference in someone else's life. They have the statistics to prove that the likelihood of matching cord blood for most children in a public bank is greater than 90 percent.
Ethics
Doctors in general encourage families to donate to a public bank as that will offer a greater chance of stem cells being made available to many populations. Many foundations, not-for-profit blood banks, and medical institutions will collect and process donated cord blood. The only other sources for stem cells comes from bone marrow donors or laboratory embryos. Bone marrow recipients are more likely to reject donated marrow. The use of embryos in laboratories presents ethical issues to medical communities and society at large.
Costs
Storage of a newborn's umbilical cord blood with a private bank can range from $1,000 to $3,000 up front to cover the cost of a cord-blood collection kit, courier service to the cord-blood bank, and initial processing. Yearly storage fees can range from $85 to $125. Obstetricians or other health care professionals may charge for their collection services.
Public cord-blood banking is free and the donation is entered into a public system where it becomes available to anyone who needs it. ObGyns or similar healthcare personnel usually donate their time and the public cord-blood banks provide free cord-blood kits.
Learn More About Cord-blood Banking
Storing a baby's cord blood should be done with a cord-blood bank accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). There are a number of cord blood banks that are accredited by the AABB. Most offer information on cord blood banking as well as provide private cord blood banking services. You should be able to locate a reputable cord-blood bank online. Consult your ObGyn or other health care professionals for advice on making a public donation. Or, again, check the Web by punching “Cord Blood” into your search engine.
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