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How To Store Your Baby’s Cord Blood

by Rachitaa Singh Be Helathy

The blood that is left behind in the cord and placenta is the umbilical cord blood. Before the birth of a baby, the cord along with the cord blood passes the essential nutrients and oxygen to the baby to help him or her grow and develop in the womb till such time that the baby is delivered.

Earlier, after the birth of the baby, the healthcare practitioners used to cut, and clamp the cord, to separate the new mom and the newborn. After the cord cutting, earlier, the cord used to be treated as medical waste

However, with the discovery of regenerative medicines and the advent of stem cell therapy, many expecting parents like you are willing to make an informed decision about storing their baby’s cord blood, instead of throwing the cord away.

Why Save The Cord Blood?

After all, this blood has many stem cells in store, which are instrumental in treating more than 80 life-threatening diseases like cancer, metabolic and immunity disorders as well as orthopaedic problems. There are clinical trials on umbilical cord blood being used to treat neurological defects like cerebral palsy, autism, and Alzheimer’s.

What Is The Process Of Storing Cord Blood?

Once the cord blood is collected in a sterile bag, it is sent to the lab for quality testing, stem cell processing, and cord blood banking. As far as the isolation of the stem cells before the banking of the cord blood is concerned, the largest network of cord blood banks can use an FDA-approved, automated, and functionally closed processing system for processing the cord blood so that there is no manual error and there is an assurance of the highest possible recovery.

When it comes to the banking of the baby’s stem cells, the best-designed cryogenic storage tanks are used for keeping the stem cells stored for 21 years or more, under -1960C with cryoprotectants and liquid nitrogen solution to prevent the stem cells from getting damaged over a long period of time.  
That means, the baby or his or her family can use the stem cells even after two decades, whenever the condition demands.

All that you and your baby needs are a close match with the donor, as the very first step to matching the stem cells with the donor and the recipient. The siblings and the immediate family members have the possibility of getting a match.
Moreover, in comparison to the bone marrow or peripheral blood, the cord blood stem cells are young and immature and have less chance of getting rejected after the transfusion.   
So, as expecting parents if you have decided to include cord blood banking in your birth plan, the best cord blood banks will send you the collection kit as you take admission to the hospital. Once the baby is delivered, the cord blood bank with whom you have registered your name, will collect the kit.

Above all, cord blood banking allows new parents to gain the access to cutting-edge treatments for themselves and their family’s healthy future

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About Rachitaa Singh Junior   Be Helathy

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Joined APSense since, April 10th, 2023, From India, India.

Created on Apr 12th 2023 06:58. Viewed 106 times.

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