Reasons to Opt for Cord Blood Banking

1. Reasons to Opt for Cord Blood Banking Cord blood, which is also known as umbilical cord blood, is the remaining blood in the umbilical cord and placenta after the childbirth. The process of cord blood banking includes collecting the blood, extracting the stem cells and freezing them. Cord blood banking also includes freezing other cells of the immune system and can be used in the future. There are a number of reasons why it is advisable to opt for cord blood banking as the process can protect your baby from more than 80 diseases. In addition, there are a number of clinical trials underway to determine how cord blood banking can help. Read on to find out the reasons why you need to opt for cord blood banking. 1.Collection is Easy Extracting blood from the umbilical cord doesn’t have any risk or pain for the mother or baby. The best part is the process of collection of cord blood is very easy. The collection process is carried on right after the baby is born by cutting of the umbilical cord. The process of bone marrow collection, however, requires a surgical procedure and also has some inherent risks. 2. Easy to Match The main step for stem cell transplant is it must match with the receiver. Public databases can be found with the help of public databases, however, the problem is chances of finding a match is low. In addition, there may be a lot of complications in case of unrelated blood transfusions. The chances of successful transplant increase when you opt for genetically related stem cells from a family member. 3. Lower Risk of Post-Transplant Complications Cord blood cells reduce the risk of post-transplant graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The disease occurs when the transplanted cells attack the body. GVHD is a serious complication related to stem-cell transplants. According to the National Institute of Health, the risk of getting GVHD after a stem cell transplant completely depends on the relationship between the donor and receiver. Here’s a list of relationship and potential GVHD risk: ●Identical twins: very low chance of suffering from GVHD ●Blood-related family members: 35%–45% chance of GVHD ●Unrelated: 60%–80% chance of GVHD Last Few Words Those were some of the benefits of stem cell banking. Stem cell research helps in curing a number of life- threatening diseases. The potential of stem cell banking is very promising. Banking the umbilical cord blood stem cells of newborns increase the access to this potential.