Stem cells are used to treat critical diseases including lymphoma, leukemia, breast cancer and over 70 diseases. If stem cells can be banked then they can be used for people who direly need matching stem cells for treatment. By donating umbilical cord blood you can make a difference in one’s life. Umbilical cord blood contains blood forming cells which the baby no longer requires after it is born. The stem cells found in umbilical cord can be used to grow healthy cell tissue which can be used for treating serious ailments like brain tumors, osteoporosis, sickle cell disease, leukemia and other types of cancer. In future years stem cells collected from cord blood can be used to treat other critical diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes.
The idea of preserving cord blood cell initially involved controversy and certain ethical issues have to be handled if it is collected from embryonic stem cells. No discomfort is caused to the mother or child during umbilical cord blood collection as it is collected only after the cord is detached from the baby after its birth. If you feel like donating your child’s umbilical cord blood for preservation or stem cell research then you need to take some simple but advanced preparation. Once the cord is cut the obstetrician must act immediately and withdraw the blood. The cord blood is to be collected within 10 to 15 minutes after the birth of the child.
Generally the umbilical cord is thrown away after a child’s delivery but now with some planned methods its blood can be collected to help numerous patients. Most of the times patients are not lucky enough to get stem cells that would match their tissue type. But if we have more expecting parents willing to donate their baby’s umbilical cord blood then the chance of these people in getting suitable stem cells enhances.
The donated cord blood is tested for both genetic issues and diseases. If the blood collected does not fulfill the required criteria then with the parents’ consent it is sent for stem cell research. On meeting the requirements the collected umbilical cord can be preserved at a public cord blood bank from where doctors can search suitable matches for their patients. By paying certain amount of yearly fees it can be also stored in private cord blood banks which can be used for your own family.
If you want to donate your child’s cord blood then first of all find out whether the hospital is a cord blood donation participating hospital. Then you can take aid from the concerned obstetrician about making arrangement for the donation. Generally by the 34th week of pregnancy you should check whether arrangements have been set between the hospital and a cord blood bank. A collection kit is sent by the cord blood bank which you can give to the concerned doctor for collecting the umbilical cord blood during delivery. At certain cases the cord blood banks directly work with the concerned hospital or doctor. If you are carrying the collection kit to the hospital make sure to pack it in the bag which you intend to carry to the delivery room.
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