If you are in the second or third trimester of your pregnancy, you must have a foot-long to-do list right now that shows no signs of slowing down. And why shouldn’t you! Having a baby is one of the most major milestones in a person’s life. No wonder then all the micro and macro decisions that come with take centrestage and become the most important thing in your life. But amidst all this planning, there is one thing most parents often overlook. Mostly because of how novel it is, and that is stem cell banking.
Preserving your baby’s cord blood stem cells is one of the most powerful decisions you can make towards securing a healthy future for them, for their siblings, for yourself, and even for your extended family. And you only get one shot to do that. Here’s why you should grab this opportunity with both of your hands.
What Is Stem Cell Banking?
Stem cell banking is the process of collecting stem cell-rich blood from the umbilical cord of your newborn baby. Don’t worry, it is neither harmful, nor painful. The blood is collected by a trained paramedic only after the cord has been cut. Usually the cord is discarded. But as it turns out, it is one of the best sources of pure, unadulterated stem cells that can be extracted, lab tested, and then stored in cryogenic facilities for use during medical emergencies.
Why Should It Be At The Top Of Your Pregnancy Plan?
The reason why stem cell banking should get your utmost attention when planning your baby’s future is because you will only get one shot at it. Deciding you want to store your baby’s stem cells via cord blood after they have been born is not an option. This procedure requires pre-registration, which typically happens during the second or third trimester of your pregnancy. That’s why you need to plan ahead and enroll with a credible and certified stem cell bank as soon as possible.
While you can choose between private and public cord blood banking, it is better to go for the secret third option which is a hybrid of the two. Take for example, LifeCell’s Community Stem Cell Banking. It takes a really smart approach to the whole process by combining the benefits of both public and private banks. Just like a private bank, you can get access to your own deposit by paying an annual storage fee. However, like a public bank, it also gives you the option to find the closest match from a pool of donor units, so it really is the safest bet.
Benefits Of Storing Cord Blood Stem Cells
There are many benefits to storing cord blood stem cells, and we have listed the most major ones below:
1. Treatment for 80+ diseases
It is true. By simply storing cord blood, you are saving your baby from the dangers of over diseases including life-threatening blood cancers, inherited blood disorders, immune conditions, metabolic diseases, and more. Stem cells are the most effective treatment for each of them, making them well worth the investment.
2. Closest genetic match
It is really difficult to find donor stem cells that match the exact genetic make up of your child during medical emergencies. However, with stem cell banking, you don’t have to worry about that. Since they are already derived from your child, there are next to no chances of rejection. Plus, your deposited units can be accessed quickly and easily whenever a medical emergency arises. You just have to contact your cord blood bank.
3. Extended family coverage
A lot of cord blood banks offer the option of extended coverage too. That is to say, the cord blood stem cells derived from your baby’s cord blood can be used to treat related ailments members of your family suffer from in the future. For an additional fee, extended coverage involves the baby’s siblings, parents, and another family member of your choosing. Since they are all part of the same gene pool, the chances of the donor unit being a match are high.
4. Rapidly advancing treatment option
Studies around the number of diseases cord blood stem cells can cure continue to expand, and in the future, they might be able to treat more than 80+ conditions. For example, they have already been proven effective against diabetes and cerebral palsy. The future is promising.
5. Non-invasive, stress-free procedure
Lastly, harvesting stem cells from cord blood is completely non-invasive as the procedure takes place after the cord has been clamped. It doesn’t cause any side effects and doesn’t take away from the joy of childbirth. You won’t even notice it.
Conclusion
Stem cell banking is peace of mind for life. You take that decision once and you can get access to your deposited units for as long as 75 years. It is good sense to add it to your pregnancy and delivery plan. Consider it as an invaluable and powerful gift, next to an elixir, that can save your baby’s life, your life, or your family member’s life in the future when the need arises.