Most parents try to do each and everything which is possible for them for giving their child a much longer and healthier life. Even if it is about buying organic food as well as checking sippy cups if they are BPA-free or not, it’s good to have a semblance amount of control over a child’s health. That is why making a decision about cord blood banking can be a bit difficult. Initially, you will have to take the decision during the most nostalgic moment. Next to this, if you decide not to opt cord blood banking then there is no scope for changing this decision. We had words with the experts in order to understand what cord blood banking is? along with more in-depth knowledge including what cord blood banking can treat and what it can’t treat. These are the crucial facts you must know before making any final decision.

What is cord blood banking?

Once the baby is born, a little blood is left within the umbilical cord as it is still attached to the placenta. The placenta is one of the most crucial vascular organs which helps in nourishing the baby especially during pregnancy, comprises of stem cells. Cord blood banking is basically a collection of these stem cells just immediately to the baby’s birth such that it can be used in the future when required. This cord blood can be safely stored within a private company by paying a specific amount of fee. In addition, it can be donated to a public bank that too for free of cost, and this thoroughly depends upon the place of delivery.

How Much Does Cord Blood Banking Cost?

Talking about the cost of cord blood banking the private blood banking can be quite expensive. Additionally, the overall cord blood bank costs depend upon the bank’s current promotions as well as on the fact rather you are storing cord blood, or cord tissue or both of them. Initially, the processing fees can range from $500 to $2,500, along with annual storage fees which is about $100 to $300 yearly basis.

The private bank might waive off some specific amount or even entire fees in case the client’s family member is having benefit from the opted banked cells. This criterion of qualification may vary from one bank to another. Although, the donation of cord blood or cord tissue in a public bank is free.

Benefits of Cord Blood Banking

The blood which is collected from the cord is the same one that the baby received from the placenta before birth. The blood itself is not ‘from the cord’ but collected from that area. The cord blood has a rich quantity of stem cells and these stem cells can further grow into blood vessels and organs as well as tissues.

Cord blood can be used for treating blood diseases including leukemia, lymphoma as well as anemia along with certain immune disorders. Usually, these diseases are cured via chemotherapy, which can destroy the immune system of the patient.

An Alternative to Bone Marrow Transplantation

Transplantation of cord blood within the system can help in rebuilding the immune system of the patient. Now a day’s cord blood is considered as an alternative for bone marrow transplantation.

It can be used as an alternative to Bone Marrow Transplantation because cord blood can be matched easily with the blood stem cells belonging from various parts of the body. An additional advantage of using cord blood is its cells are less mature as compared to the ones from an adult’s bone marrow. This decreases the chances of rejection by the body for the stem cell.

A Painless Procedure

As the cord blood is collected immediately to birth it results in a painless procedure and additionally much easier than other methods involved in the collection of other stem cells.

Cord blood can be accessed easily whenever required especially when you pay for it, for getting it stored within a private blood bank. The stored cord blood is precisely reserved for your baby as well as family and can’t be availed by anyone else. You just have to keep on paying for its storage and thus, we can say it’s worth it to invest in cord blood banking.