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Home › Articles › Postpartum Issues › Cord Blood

Cord Blood

The Gift of Life

By Ginnie Waters

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Having a baby is a time when you have more questions than answers. From whether to have amniocentesis to deciding which method of delivery is best for you, new parents are thinking about everything from breastfeeding to baby names. Advice seems to run rampant from doctors, families and friends.

But just as the ultimate responsibility of raising a child falls on the parents, the decision about whether to save stem cells from cord blood arises.

What is Cord Blood?
Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth. This blood contains stem cells, which are genetically unique to your baby and immediate family members. These same cells, which are routinely discarded after a newborn's birth, have the potential to be used in life-saving treatments.

The simple procedure to save cord blood cells can only take place at birth, is painless and poses no risk to mother or baby. Upon arrangements made by expectant parents, stem cells in the cord blood are collected in a blood bag or syringe, then sent overnight to a special lab where they are separated, frozen and "banked," either in a private facility or donated to a public bank.

A Parent's Nightmare
Sandy attributed the bruises on her 18-month-old son to be the result of the normal bangs and falls of a toddler. But then other things began to alarm h
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