If you are an
expectant parent, then you might be probably busy with a lot of planning such
as meeting the doctor, discussing different health issues, setting up the
nursery, planning the baby shower and more. But have you ever thought about
banking your new-born’s cord blood? Most of us will agree that it is one of the
rarely discussed topics. But having a detailed understanding about the medical
benefits of cord blood (CB) can help you in taking informed decisions regarding
its banking. First of all, let’s find out what cord blood is. As we all know umbilical cord connects a baby in the womb to
its mother and provides him with oxygen and nutrients. And that is why
umbilical cord is considered as the lifeline of developing embryo or foetus. Soon
after the child birth, this cord is cut and discarded away. But now research
has shown that the blood present in the baby’s cord contains adult stem cells. Umbilical cord blood tissue, being a
rich source of stem cells can be collected and stored for several therapeutical
applications and research purposes.
Not just the blood
present in the cord, but even the tissue of the umbilical cord is used in the
field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine therapy. Collection ofcord blood and tissue is a quick and pain-less procedure carried out right
after the child birth. But what exactly is the difference between cord blood
and cord tissue? CB is a rich source of blood-forming cells or Haematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs), whereas umbilical
cord tissue contains Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that can differentiate
into a variety of cell types. Another notable difference is that while cord
blood has been used for treating more than 80 diseases, cord tissue is only
available in clinical trials at this point of time. But according to the
researchers, the future of cord tissue stem cell based therapy looks bright and
promising. Expectant parents who wish to reap the therapeutical benefits of CB
may consider banking it. Those who can’t afford the higher cord blood banking prices can also donate their new-born’s
cord blood.
