Cord Blood is the leftover blood in a baby’s umbilical cord and the mother’s placenta immediately after childbirth when the umbilical cord is cut. The hematopoietic stem cells that are present in that blood are used for medical purposes.

Know About Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood and tissue banking is an essential medical procedure. Immediately after childbirth, the extra blood from the umbilical cord and the placenta are removed and stored.

They are then frozen and stored as it has vital components that can cure several diseases. It can be conserved for over two decades.

Cord blood and tissue banking started in the 1980s. In the 80s, medical experts suggested that the natural hematopoietic stem cells present in cord blood can cure a large number of human disorders and diseases.

The Costs Of Blood Banking

Giving you an exact idea of the costs of cord banking will not be viable because it largely varies.

For public storage banks, cord banking is done for free or at a very negligible price. But private banks can charge $1400 to $2400 for collection purposes only. Around $100 to $200 adds up as storage fees later.

The Benefits Associated With Cord Blood Banking

You have already mentioned the fact that cord blood is crucial for curing several deadly diseases.

There are no other cells in the human body like the hematopoietic stem cells. These stem cells can copy themselves. It is formed in the bone marrow of the human body. These stem cells can formulate themselves in distinct blood groups and strengthen the immune system cells.

Especially for patients who require stem transplants, hematopoietic stem cells play a crucial role. This is why cord blood banking is essential.

The Uses Of Cord Blood

In this section, we are going through the details of how cord blood is a boon to medical science and why its storage is valuable.

Researchers have found out that cord blood cells can cure more than 80 human ailments. A wide number of drugs, medicines, and vaccines are made by using the serum of the cord blood cells.

Here are some of the diseases that can be cured by cord blood:

• Severe blood cancer diseases such as lymphoma and leukemia.

• Various cell diseases.

• Anemia.

• Immune deficiency diseases. Can also be helpful to procrastinate AIDs formation in HIV-infected persons.

• Metabolic ailments like Gaucher’s disease.

• Various other neurological, blood-related, and immunity-related diseases and disorders.

• Transplantation of stem cells to patients going through chemotherapy.

Private Cord Blood Banking Vs Public Cord Blood Banking

• Private Cord Blood Banking: In a private cord blood bank, the parents pay to store cord blood for the future use of their family members. The cord blood completely “belongs” to the family and will be used in the future only for their medical benefits.

• Public Cord Blood Banking: In a public cord blood bank, the baby’s umbilical cord blood is donated by the parents and can be used by anyone who needs a transplant. The cord blood does not “belong” to the parents or their family in this case. It can be used by any patient in need and can also be used for medical research. Donating cord blood in public blood banks is done for free or for a very negligible charge.

The Process Of Collecting Cord Blood

Discuss your intention of donating the cord blood with your doctor before childbirth.

Immediately after birth, the cord blood is collected within minutes following a simple procedure.

With the help of a needle, the extra blood is taken out of the umbilical cord vein. Then the procedures for storing, freezing, and processing the cord blood are executed.

Cord Blood storage is extremely important. A huge number of severe diseases can be cured including HIV and different forms of cancer from umbilical blood.

For all the future mothers reading this, we would like to advise you to donate the cord blood to public or private cord blood banks, after the birth of your little one. This might save a person’s life.