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Last Updated: Aug 29, 2019
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Umbilical Cord Blood Banking: Why It can be a saviour for your child always

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Dr. Sumit Chavan, Medical Director- BabycellPathologist • 19 Years Exp.MD - Microbiology, MBBS
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Umbilical Cord Blood Banking: Nurturing life after pregnancy

Stem cells are the basic building blocks of our body. They are found in the blood, tissues, organs and immune system. These powerful stem cells are found in umbilical cord blood. They have a remarkable ability to regenerate themselves and differentiate into specialized cells, thus they can replace diseased cells and can be used for the treatment of life threatening diseases.

What is umbilical cord and why is it so awesome?

Throughout the pregnancy, the umbilical cord functions as a lifeline between mother and baby. It carries rich nutrients, oxygenated blood from placenta to the developing baby through the umbilical vein. The baby in turn pumps nutrient-depleted, deoxygenated blood back to the placenta through umbilical arteries. Yes it’s reverse! Umbilical cord is a rich source of cord blood and cord tissue stem cells. Stem cells have a unique ability to differentiate into functional cells which can help treat more than 80 diseases in the baby after birth. According to the WHO report, minimum 2000 Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplants are performed annually to cure diseases such as leukemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassaemia, cerebral palsy, myeloma, lymphoma and more. More than 35000 cord blood stem cell transplants have already been performed worldwide and 53% of cord blood transplants have been performed in children. (World Cord Blood Congress 2015 Report)

5 unique qualities that make umbilical cord blood banking so convenient and important.

Umbilical cord blood banking is the process of collecting and preserving your baby’s umbilical cord blood stem cells for future medical uses.

1. Collecting umbilical cord stem cells is a quick and easy procedure and painless for the mother and baby.
2. Stem cells from the umbilical cord blood are young and unexposed to the external environment, thus they can be transplanted with higher chances of acceptance in the patient body.
3. The therapeutic potential of umbilical cord stem cells is vast. These stem cells are already being used to treat more than 80 life threatening diseases.
4. Cord blood stem cells are genetically unique and exclusive. If your family has a history of complex diseases, like: Alzheimer's disease, Arthritis, Asthma, Heart disease and stroke, chances of your children inheriting them are higher. These life threatening diseases can be cured with cord blood. All the more reason why you should opt for preservation of cord blood stem cells.
5. Umbilical cord stem cells if preserved are readily available in case of emergency for the baby and family. This ensures that in situations of crisis, you wouldn't have to spend months or years finding a donor.

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