What Is Cord Blood?

If you are contemplating with the idea of saving your newborn baby’s cord blood, you may find yourself confused with a lot of questions. So here are some top questions answered to clear out your concerns. 

1. What is cord blood?
   The blood left in the newborn’s umbilical cord and blood vessels of placenta right after the child birth is known as cord blood (CB). This blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells and the cord tissue consists of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.
2. What is stem cell research and how it is related to cord blood banking?
   Stem cells have the remarkable potential to become any type of specialized cell. Another significant characteristic is its self-renewing capacity, which makes it an ideal choice for degenerative medicine therapy. Stem cells are classified into embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. While embryonic stem cell research has been facing a lot of ethical controversies, researchers and scientists have been working on the adult stem cell transplants and therapies. That is when the presence of adult stem cells was discovered in umbilical cord blood, which further led to its banking.
3. How is cord blood collected?
   Unlike the bone marrow harvest, cord blood collection is a quick and painless procedure that poses no harm to the baby or mother. Umbilical cord is clamped and cut immediately after the child birth. The blood present in the umbilical cord is drained to a gravity bag. 
4. What diseases does cord blood cure?
   Currently, CB is used to treat more than 80 life-threatening diseases and disorders. Cancer, blood disorders, immune disorders and metabolic disorders are some of them. It can also be used to treat certain set of inherited genetic conditions. Several clinical trials and research is currently  investigating the potential of CB stem cells to treat many other debilitating conditions. And that is the exact reason why physicians and scientists encourage saving newborn baby’s cord blood and also consider it as a wise investment to secure the future health of your child and  family. 

You can also have a brief discussion with your doctor to find more information regarding the cord blood banking services.