Visit our Canada site
The wonders of science will never cease to amaze us! It used to be that the placenta and umbilical cord were thrown away after a mother gives birth with nary a second thought. Researchers soon discovered, however, that the umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells.
Kate Howard, M.D., noted Ob-Gyne, says, “Cord blood banking is biological insurance. Cord blood has a lot of stem cells; these form all of the cells, tissues, and organs in the human body.”
In a presentation before expectant moms and soon-to-be dads partly sponsored by Cordlife Philippines, Dr. Howard enumerates the ways by which cord blood banking is becoming increasingly important for families.
#1 It may be the key to your family’s future health and happiness.
Stem cells are the building blocks of different types of cell, and may be used in the treatment of certain diseases. This is particularly important, Dr. Howard says, for families with a history of serious diseases that may be potentially treatable by stem cell therapy. Some of the conditions which may respond positively to stem cell therapy include leukemia or lymphoma, aplastic anemia, severe sickle cell disease, and severe combined immunodeficiency.
In the future, other applications may also be found for stem cells, says Dr. Howard, and banking cord blood will contribute to your family’s peace of mind. The thought of knowing that you are guaranteeing your family’s future through this simple act will definitely make you sleep better at nights.
#2 It is the least invasive way of getting stem cells.
There are many sources of stem cells, says Dr. Howard. It may be found in embryos. Extracting them from embryos, however, could lead to their damage. It may be found in the bone marrow. Extracting them from the bone marrow involves a painful procedure. Extracting stem cells from cord blood, says Dr. Howard, is the least invasive. There are no procedures to be done as the stem cells will be taken from what was previously deemed as waste material. Dr. Howard adds that cord blood banking is approved by the Philippine government.
#3 It is very easy to do.
It starts by enrolling in Cordlife’s cord blood banking services. After the delivery of your baby, the cord is clamped. The doctor will then collect the umbilical cord blood by inserting a needle into the cord vein, and draining the blood into a blood bag. The procedure is absolutely painless, and takes less than three minutes. The cord blood is then processed and stored for you until your family needs it.
#4 It works!
Cordlife claims that cord blood banking has been proven effective in helping families deal with health situations.
Cordlife has actually released some units of cord blood to their owners, and the results have been heartwarming. A two-year-old with cerebral palsy received stem cell from his cord blood, and experienced marked improvement. A three-year-old with leukemia received stem cells from his sister’s cord blood. Eighteen months later, the boy’s leukemia is in remission.
As more treatments are developed, more uses for stem cell therapy are bound to be discovered, making cord blood banking even more critical. For more information on cord blood banking, check out http://www.cordlife.ph/en/
Leave a Reply