Why You Should Opt for Umbilical Cord Tissue Banking?

Cord blood is the blood left in the placenta and umbilical cord after the child birth. Umbilical cord

blood and placenta which was  considered as a medical waste in the past has now turned out to be a life-saving resource. As per the researchers and scientists, cord blood (CB) contains stem cells that can be used for transplants and stem cell research. Whatis stem cell research and why CB holds significance? Scientists are interested in stem cells because of its self-renewal capacity and other remarkable features. Stem cells with their powerful regenerating capacity have  the potential to cure various life-threatening disorders. And that is the exact reason why many expectant parents are saving baby cord blood these days.

Umbilical cord blood which mainly consist of Hematopoietic stem cell or blood forming cells proves to be a great alternative to bone marrow transplant. Not just the cord blood, but umbilical cord tissue bankingalso holds prominence as it contains Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). Clinical trials are underway exploring the potential applications of MSCs in treating cartilage damage, spinal cord injury and more. 

Coming back to the CB applications, have you ever thought why cord blood is a better alternative over bone marrow for stem cell transplant? Here are some points that explain the reasons.

1. Collection of CB and umbilical cord tissue banking is a non-invasive and painless procedure. Bone marrow stem cell collection on the other hand is an invasive method that is performed in a surgical setting.
2. Cord blood units are stored in specifically designed freezers and can be used for transplants even after years. But bone marrow needs to be used fresh as it possess less shelf life. That is why saving baby cord blood provides you a long term health assurance. 
3. It is difficult to find the right bone marrow donor, while cord blood match is easier to find because of the greater Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) compatibility.

Umbilical cord blood is also used for treating ischemic vascular disease, metabolic storage diseases, hemoglobinopathies, malignant disease, neurological disorders and more.