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The beginning of 2014 is only a few days away, and many people will spend the next week committing to New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are personal to each unique individual, but many commitments revolve around common themes. For example, some people commit to spending money wisely, while others commit to spending more time with their families.
One resolution that many expecting mothers consider is to learn more about umbilical cord blood and cord blood banking. Cord blood is a concept and substance unknown to many parents until they end up pregnant. Once the pregnancy is confirmed, families are swarmed with information about cord blood.
There are many reasons that people choose to bank cord blood:
· Cord blood is a viable source of rich, potentially therapeutic stem cells
· Cord blood stem cells are known to provide therapy for over 75 life-threatening illnesses and diseases,
· Many of these conditions include a number of cancers and blood disorders
· Medical trials are also researching their potential to improve lives of children with cerebral palsy or autism
· A child’s banked cord blood stem cells are a genetic match for a transplant if ever the need should arise
Cord blood is collected following the birth of a new baby, and poses no medical risk to either mother or child. Once a cord blood sample is collected, a trained cord blood collection specialist will deliver the sample to a cord blood bank to store the sample. This process provides families with a fall-back or insurance policy in case the need ever occurs.
Many hospitals also provide information about cord blood banking, and education seminars are hosted in selected cities across the country for parents eager to ask questions about the process. Families are learning more about the potential benefits of cord blood, and many will commit their resolutions to learning more about cord blood in 2014.