We all know the importance of the umbilical cord during pregnancy and baby development. But did you know that this cord is also useful after the baby is born? Yes, for ages, this cord and the placenta have been discarded after birth. But, not any longer. Around 30 years ago that researchers confirmed the life saving potential these ignored organs have. The blood extracted from it, referred to as the umbilical cord blood or just cord blood, is rich in stem cells. These very stems cells can save your child's life and may be even her sibling's as well, if preserved properly. It has been proved that the umbilical cord blood stem cells are of higher quality than those extracted from the bone marrow.
Cord blood collection is not a painful process. Neither you nor your baby will be hurt during the process of collecting the cord blood. The simple reason being that the blood is collected after the baby and the placenta is delivered. The umbilical cord is clamped and then only the cord blood is collected in specialized bags. The entire process takes no longer than 10 minutes and in most cases, the mother is busy adoring her baby during that time. However, there are some points that you need to remember so that the cord blood collection procedure is successful.
Points To Remember
As a parent, you need to decide on a cord blood bank well ahead of the delivery. Think about the pros and cons of public and private cord blood banks.
Cord blood registry procedure takes some time, so visit the cord blood bank when your pregnancy is confirmed, usually as soon as you enter your second trimester.
You will have to undergo extensive medical tests to qualify for the cord blood preservation.
It may sound expensive at the moment but look at the entire process as insurance for your family.
If you see that your child and her siblings are growing healthy and do not need to store stem cells, you can opt to sell or donate the unit to a needy family.
Cord blood collection is a wise decision for your family as you can never be sure whether your children will be able to get the right stem cells' donor in times of need.
