Why Save Cord Blood Stem Cells?
After a baby is born, the placenta and umbilical cord are commonly discarded. However, many people have realized that this umbilical cord and placenta contains a special type of blood known as cord blood or placental blood. Why is this blood so special? Because it is rich in young stem cells, which are cells that produce red blood cells and white cells as well as platelets in the blood. This is why stem cells are so important to out bodies and immune systems.
It was in the 1980s that medical researchers discovered that the umbilical cord and placenta was rich in these stem cells, which were contained in the cord blood. Since then a great deal of research has been carried out into the benefits of stem cell transplantation, and these cells have proven so effective that they have already been used to treat a number if disorders that could otherwise prove debilitating or deadly. It is hoped that ongoing research will enable more and more people to eventually receive successful treatment for a vast variety of diseases – many of which are currently classed as untreatable.
However, before ongoing research can be carried out, the resources are required to do the testing and investigations in to this valuable therapy – and this means that more cord blood needs to be donated. This is just one of reasons why parents-to-be should think long and hard about preserving and donating the cord blood from the birth – it could help to save many lives in the future. By storing these stem cells, you could even find that one day they save you or a family member from a potentially dangerous or deadly disease.
In the past, many conditions were treated with bone marrow transplants. However, this has proven problematic because there has to be a perfect match between the person receiving the transplant and the person donating the bone marrow. As you can imagine, this can increase the time it takes to find a suitable donor, and in some cases one may not be found at all. Since time is of the essence with many of the disorders treated in this way, these delays can prove deadly. Just finding a donor can prove difficult and time-consuming, and where a transplant is needed right away the time it takes to find a matching donor can make the difference between life and death.
With cord blood cell transplants, the cells do not have to be a perfect match because they are very adaptable. This means that the chances of acceptance are far higher, which could give someone a far greater chance of life. The other advantage is that, because these stem cells can be stored, the need to hunt around for a suitable and willing donor is eliminated, as the cord blood stem cells are already banked and available.
There are many reasons for preserving cord blood stem cells, and no reason why you should waste them by allowing your placenta and umbilical cord to be discarded after birth. As the umbilical cord and placenta are being discarded, you could be throwing away someone’s one and only chance of surviving a disease or illness, whether a complete stranger or a member of your own family. However, by preserving these cord blood stem cells you can:
Aid further medical research into stem cell therapy
Contribute towards an increasing number of debilitating or fatal diseases becoming treatable through research
Save the life of another person somewhere in the world
Save the life of someone closer to home, such as a child, or even yourself
Whether you donate the cord blood stem cells for use in research and saving others’ lives, or whether you opt to have them stored for use by your own family, you will have the confidence that these vital cells – that would otherwise have gone completely to waste – could help to save a precious life.
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