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Cord Blood Storage

Preserving a Lifeline for the Future

By Gwen Morrison

Pages: 1 2 3 4

The samples are stored at the cord blood bank of choice, providing the parents with a safeguard of their baby's future health as well as the health of their family.

Bil Paul, public relations specialist for the Cord Blood Registry in San Bruno, Calif., the largest family cord blood bank in the world, says he would like to see more parents consider this option in the future. "Discarding the cord blood is a medical waste," says Paul.

There is a host of information available that describes the benefits of saving your child's umbilical cord blood. The No. 1 reason is that when cord blood stem cells are used by that same child, it is always a perfect match. There is also a 25 percent chance that it will be a match for one of the child's siblings.

"There are a number of reasons parents choose to save their child's umbilical cord blood, including a history of predisposition to certain conditions, a child in the family is in need of a stem cell transplantation, family situations where both genetically linked parents are not available and a wish," says Dr. Lill. "The technology that makes cord blood storage possible is one of the foremost medical marvels of our time."

When bone marrow cells are harvested, not only is it a very painful procedure that requires an identical match in order to work, but it is also a very costly process. Insurance coverage is at times unavailable, or at best it is challenging. The entire process proves time-consuming and can be stressful for parents already dealing with the worry of a sick child.

With cord blood storage, it is painless, and there is no waiting time. Stem cell transplantation is a proven treatment in 45 malignant and non-malignant diseases, says Dr. Lill.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

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