Cord Blood Collection - Give a New Life

her umbilical cord blood. This is one of the most publicized exercises in today’s medical world. Young parents, mothers in particular are slowly becoming aware of the benefits of the blood found in the umbilical cord joining her with the baby. This umbilical cord blood is rich in life saving stem cells. These stem cells are the building blocks of your baby that can be a better savior of your child in times of need than the very cells that created her! Cord Blood Registry

If incurable diseases run in your family, or if you are from an ethnic minority in the country you are residing, preservation is the best thing you can do for your new born and her siblings. This procedure must be done well in advance. After consultation with your doctor, get in touch with the bank in your city or the one closest to your place of delivery. Ideally, you must apply for this procedure during your second trimester when your pregnancy is well confirmed. You have to undergo a series of medical tests to ensure that you do not have any abnormal genes or other blood related problems to be eligible for preservation. Once the results are out, the applicant is informed. If there is some anomaly, the applicant, the mother to be is advised to consult the doctor about the consequences. If the results are fine, the next step begins. Stem Cells Collection

The mother has to inform her doctor well in advance about her decision in order to avoid confusion in the birthing room. The mother has to carry the kit with her to the hospital when her labor pains start. If it is an elective cesarean, there should be no problems, but if it is an emergency C-section, the decision lies solely on the doctor whether the blood is fit for collection or not, based on the nature of the complication.

The entire process should be completed within 15 minutes of the placenta being delivered. If the cord blood collection is lesser or more than the required amount, the choice lies entirely with the mother whether she wants to donate the unit for scientific research. If there is an urgent need, umbilical cord blood unit may be preserved for stem cells multiplication. After the collection, the unit is couriered to the bank where the mother is registered. Here, the blood is tested again and preserved in highly specialized refrigerators for future use. The identity of the mother and the baby is kept confidential all the time.

This procedure is gaining in popularity in all developed nations in the world mainly because of the increase in the number of one-child families. There may soon be a time when a person will be looking out in vain for a matching donor. And this is when the decision of cord blood collection made by the parents today, will be a blessing.