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Cord blood banking is a relatively new concept. It is only in the last ten years that parents have seriously begun to bank their baby's cord blood. While the practice of banking cord blood is still not common it is becoming more popular as people begin to learn about its benefits. Cord blood is the remaining blood in the umbilical cord once the baby has been delivered. Normally, cord blood is disposed off with placenta and umbilical cord after birth. Stem cells in cord blood is extremely useful as they are not as controversial as stem cells from embryos. Cord blood stem cells have wider uses than stem cells taken from bone marrow. Cord blood stem cells can develop into various types of cells such as muscle, nerve or blood cells. Since these cells can regenerate immune system and repair damaged cells, they have the potential to treat heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease. Many doctors are starting to see the benefits of cord blood. At the moment the blood can be used to treat over 75 different conditions. It can even be used to treat certain types of cancer and auto-immune disorders. The cord blood can be used by the child as well as other family members. There have been several breakthroughs in stem cell research where scientists have been able to create bone and cartilage, grow lung and liver cells from cord blood stem cells. These cells could eventually be placed into the human body so that they can repair any organs that are damaged. This should reduce the need for organ donors. Scientists are hoping that these stem cells can grow into organs inside or outside the human body to save thousands of lives. Because the organ is produced from your own tissue there is much less chance that the body will reject the it. You can choose to store cord blood in private or public cord blood banks. If you want to keep the blood so that it can only be used for your family's own use then you should consider using a private cord blood bank. Private cord blood banks are expensive as you have to pay a fee to collect the blood and a yearly fee to store it. If you are from ethnic minorities, you are encouraged to bank your baby's cord blood privately as it can be difficult to find a bone marrow match. If there's a family history of diseases that can be treated with cord blood, you should consider storing your baby's cord blood in a private bank. Cord blood stored in a public bank can be used by anyone who needs it. If you want to bank your baby's cord blood, you should select a cord blood bank before the baby is born. Ideally you need to do this at least a month before your baby is due. You then need to fill out the paperwork and talk to your doctor and the hospital. Many hospitals will need to make special arrangements to allow the collection of cord blood.
Article Source: http://www.fubrus.com
Cord blood banking is a protection against diseases and conditions in the future. There have been several cord blood stem cell breakthroughs in recent years. Learn about the miracle of cord blood by visiting www.storingcordblood.com/home
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