Cord blood banking is a very recent concept, but which has a lot of potential when it comes to the treatment of a number of diseases. This process refers to the steps taken in collection and storage of blood from the umbilical cord of a neonate. It's a very interesting process, and one which is fascinating to various groups of people.
The collection of such tissue is usually done immediately after birth. When the umbilicus is cut, a small amount of blood is drawn from the neonate's end of the umbilicus. The volume drawn in this manner is usually very small, in the region of around 75 milliliters. This, however, is usually more than enough for most needs.
Once the tissue has been obtained, it is then kept frozen. Components of blood such as red cells and plasma usually have a limited shelf life, but by freezing cord tissue it can be stored indefinitely. This therefore means that it's possible for most medical institutions to accumulate vast stores of such tissues.
The use of this particular technology is still in its infancy, but is still potentially valuable to different fields of medicine. Currently, the most common reason why people bank this form of tissue is as a form of insurance. The stem cells from such tissue can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions, including some forms of cancer and some hematological diseases.
It is therefore very common to find parents opting to have such tissue stored when their children are born. This is because when cryogenically frozen, this tissue can turn out to be very helpful much later during the child's life. For instance, if they develop leukemia in future, they can easily use the stored tissue for treatment. This is known as autologous transplantation.
If you are expecting a child, it therefore makes sense to make provisions for the use of such technology. In order to do it, all you need to do is consult your doctor, who can then arrange for the process to be done when you give birth. Quite a number of medical institutions in the developed world have such facilities, so finding one should not be too hard.
The only issue that plagues the use of such technology is the issue of legislation. Seeing as this is a recently developed technology, there are many legal jurisdictions that may not have the legal mechanisms in place to govern how it's used. However, the importance of this form of technology is becoming increasingly apparent, and this means that more and more states are embracing it an enacting laws governing its use.
When all is said and done, the issue of cord blood banking is one that you need to think of when you are planning on becoming a parent. By simply storing such tissue, you can easily ensure that your children will have no problems getting sophisticated medical care for some of the most destructive diseases such as leukemia when they grow older. By investing in this, you would have essentially ensured the good health of your child right from the first day of their life, something that most parents would want to do.
The collection of such tissue is usually done immediately after birth. When the umbilicus is cut, a small amount of blood is drawn from the neonate's end of the umbilicus. The volume drawn in this manner is usually very small, in the region of around 75 milliliters. This, however, is usually more than enough for most needs.
Once the tissue has been obtained, it is then kept frozen. Components of blood such as red cells and plasma usually have a limited shelf life, but by freezing cord tissue it can be stored indefinitely. This therefore means that it's possible for most medical institutions to accumulate vast stores of such tissues.
The use of this particular technology is still in its infancy, but is still potentially valuable to different fields of medicine. Currently, the most common reason why people bank this form of tissue is as a form of insurance. The stem cells from such tissue can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions, including some forms of cancer and some hematological diseases.
It is therefore very common to find parents opting to have such tissue stored when their children are born. This is because when cryogenically frozen, this tissue can turn out to be very helpful much later during the child's life. For instance, if they develop leukemia in future, they can easily use the stored tissue for treatment. This is known as autologous transplantation.
If you are expecting a child, it therefore makes sense to make provisions for the use of such technology. In order to do it, all you need to do is consult your doctor, who can then arrange for the process to be done when you give birth. Quite a number of medical institutions in the developed world have such facilities, so finding one should not be too hard.
The only issue that plagues the use of such technology is the issue of legislation. Seeing as this is a recently developed technology, there are many legal jurisdictions that may not have the legal mechanisms in place to govern how it's used. However, the importance of this form of technology is becoming increasingly apparent, and this means that more and more states are embracing it an enacting laws governing its use.
When all is said and done, the issue of cord blood banking is one that you need to think of when you are planning on becoming a parent. By simply storing such tissue, you can easily ensure that your children will have no problems getting sophisticated medical care for some of the most destructive diseases such as leukemia when they grow older. By investing in this, you would have essentially ensured the good health of your child right from the first day of their life, something that most parents would want to do.
About the Author:
Specializing in stem cell isolation, we are a blood cord clinic with years in experience in cord blood & cord blood banking Canada.