Umbilical Cord Banking

Umbilical cord banking allows you to save and store your baby’s umbilical cord blood for use in the future. Placental cord blood is valuable because the stem cells from it can be transplanted to grow new, healthy bone marrow. Cord blood transplants can also be used to grow other types of body tissue.The process of umbilical cord banking is pain-free, but there are costs of cord blood banking. However, even if you do not use the placental cord blood in your baby, it can be transplanted an used for siblings who have diseases such as sickle cell disease, leukemia, thalassemia, or Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Cord blood transplants can also be done when you donate your infant’s umbilical cord blood to a public cord blood bank.

What is umbilical cord blood? Baby cord blood is leftover in the umbilical cord after birth. The most important component of umbilical cord blood is stem cells. Stem cells have the unique ability to grow into a great variety of cells. If healthy stem cells from umbilical cord banking are transplanted into a person with cancer or anemia, they can replace diseased cells.

People often choose umbilical cord banking if they have a blood disease, such as sickle cell anemia or leukemia, that runs in their family. Or, because stem cells from one child can often be used by a sibling, umbilical cord banking is a choice for families with a sick child. Parents often simply feel safer knowing that placental cord blood and the option for cord blood transplants exist for their family.

Most of the time, the umbilical cord is simply discarded after childbirth. In umbilical cord banking, the umbilical cord and placental cord blood is collected and frozen. Then, a cord blood bank stores the blood for future use by private families or the public.

Because the placental cord blood and umbilical blood must be frozen, umbilical cord banking is a process that needs to be arranged before a woman goes into labor. Arrange for cord blood banking with a reputable cord blood bank well in advance of your due date.