June 21, 2009 By admin

Cord Blood Storage: Medical Cure on Ice

There are mixed opinions about cord blood because of the media attention on stem cell research and treatment. Important issues of ethics, genetic disorders associated with family history and ethnicity surface in discussions about stem cell cord blood.

When harvesting cord blood donations to be stored, the recipient’s compatibility is an essential part of equation.

Cord Blood Storage Medical Cure The ease of obtaining cord blood as opposed to bone marrow makes it convenient. This makes it more readily available for the cord blood donor than the bone marrow donor and makes the process of retrieving easier.

Cord blood storage benefits all races and ethnic groups. The most important advantage in storing cord blood is the availability at the time when someone’s life needs to be saved. Cord blood that is already stored at the cord blood bank may be used for transplants and to help treat some diseases.

There is no pain associated with umbilical cord blood collecting to either mother or child. Due to the compatibility of cord blood cell to family members, cord blood storage is becoming more widely used.

Some cord blood storage banks run by private companies charge thousands of dollars to hold the umbilical cord blood and a fee up to $150 for annual maintenance.

Some private cord blood storage companies also charge for the cord blood collection kit, charge to have a courier pick it up and charge the initial processing procedure at the storage facility.

Cord blood storage addresses the possible need and continued demand for help in treating diseases and as an additional method of saving lives. In cases of emergencies, cord blood storage facilities may be the saving grace of many people seeking treatment. Although doctors are at the beginning stages of experience with stem cells, some have begun to look to cord blood storage facilities for help.

Cord blood storage banks are required to store blood in vials or in bags. This storage method is important to keep the blood safe from contamination. Cord blood storage banks also can help viability by placing cord blood in smaller quantities or samples to make specimens available to more people.

Cord blood storage provides a quicker way to get help for patients who are in poor health conditions. These cord blood storage facilities can store blood long-term. Preservation of the cord blood sample is important to the cord blood storage and so professional care is taken to make sure that it is stored properly.

Cord Blood Storage: Should You Do It?

June 13, 2009 By admin

Cord Blood Storage: Should You Do It?

Cord blood storage is a controversial topic with intelligent, informed opponents on both sides of the debate. This debate makes it very difficult for parents to make an informed decision regarding their own baby’s cord blood. Should you store your baby’s cord blood as a protection against future diseases, or is the process overly encouraged by medical researchers and the media?

Cord Blood Storage Should You Do It While no one can tell you to invest in cord blood storage or not to, you owe it to yourself to know all the facts before you pass on the opportunity. Here are some key facts that will help you make an informed decision:

• Thousands upon thousands of stem cell transplants are performed each year on patients using their own cord blood. Diseases treated with cord blood include many types of cancers including leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and tumors. Thousands more transplants are performed on family members using a relative’s cord blood.

• There is a 1 in 435 chance that your baby will need his or her own cord blood within his/her lifetime. There is a 1 in 400 chance that a family member will benefit from a relative’s cord blood storage. Keep in mind that this is the current likelihood. As more research is performed, more uses for stem cells will be developed.

• One in 630 children will develop cancer before they reach the age of fifteen.

• New studies have shown a wide range of use for cord blood and stem cells. In fact, many researchers believe that stem cells can be used to reverse brain damage sustained in a stroke or traumatic accident.

If there are so many advantages associated with cord blood storage, why aren’t more people doing it? There simply are not enough public banks to accept donations and private banks have a cost. Cord blood storage involves long-term cold storage, and there aren’t enough facilities offering this type of storage to accommodate all cord blood banking requests. In fact, only 30% of cord blood that qualifies for banking actually gets banked due to limited space and resources.

At the end of the day, you owe it to yourself to investigate all of the facts and opportunities available to you regarding cord blood storage. Research cord blood banks and make an informed decision after all of the facts are in.