I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for the Cord Blood Registry. I received promotional item to thank me for my participation.
If you’ve ever been pregnant than you may have heard of Cord Blood Banking. It’s a hot topic on many of Mom boards. Most people’s questions are the same:
What IS Cord Blood Banking?
Cord Blood Banking is the collection and storage of the blood found in the umbilical cord that connects you to your baby. What’s so important that is in the Cord Blood? Stem Cells. Stem cells are important because they have the ability to create the different types of cells that make up our organs, blood, tissue and immune system.
Stem cells can also be found in bone marrow and fat tissue but the most flexible cells are found in a newborns umbilical cord.
This mom explains Cord Blood Banking as “insurance for your baby”. Watch the video to learn more and read on!
You can also choose to store cord tissue which offers other important advantages.
What is the Difference between storing Umbilical Cord Blood and Umbilical Cord Tissue?
Umbilical Cord Blood contains Hematopoietic stems cells also known has HSCs. They are blood-forming cells with the ability to self renew.
Cord Tissue contains Mesenchymal stem cells or MSCs which can form bone, cartilage, and tissue cells.
Both can be very important later in life.
Is it Worth it?
Cord blood has been used in the treatment of over 80 diseases including certain cancers, blood disorders, immune deficiencies and metabolic disorders.
Research is also being conducted to see if cord blood can help with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Pediatric Stroke and traumatic brain injuries.
If your child or close family member is ever afflicted with something like this the cord blood would be a huge advantage for them. And with advances being made every day who knows what the future can bring.
Mom to Mom, what I can say to you is that it’s important to look into Cord Blood (and tissue) Banking. It *can* make a difference in your child’s life or the life of a loved one. Talk to your doctor. Research all your options. Knowledge is power!
Lisa says
You’re so right, the cord blood can make such a difference in your child’s life…when it’s allowed to flow into them at birth instead of immediately clamping the cord and depriving the baby of as much as a 1/3 of their own blood. The blood in the cord is the baby’s blood and belongs in the baby. Babies can and have died or been disabled due to immediate clamping. IF there is blood left after the cord has stopped pulsing and the baby has received their full blood volume, then banking is a good option for the remainder.
Christa says
Hi Lisa, personally I choose to not clamp/cut the cord until it had stopped pulsating. However, there are numerous benefits to cord blood banking as well as tissue banking which I discussed above as well. You can do delayed cord clamping and still store the tissue. Personally my daughter’s placenta was turned into placenta pills and her cord is in the shape of a heart in my kitchen 🙂
Virginia @thatbaldchick says
With my son (now 6) we were going to clamp after it stopped pulsating. Unfortunately, with an unexpected c-section, we weren’t able to do cord blood banking. Both of my daughters are adopted, and banking wasn’t a decision afforded to us, but we would have opted for banking after it stopped pulsating.
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