Evaluating the Cord Blood Banking Pros and Cons

Nowadays there are a lot of people thinking about cord blood banking pros and cons especially because it was proved that there is a lot that the cells of the blood could help the baby later in life with.

This is the blood that stays in the umbilical cord once the doctor cuts it.

Advantages and disadvantages of cord blood banking

Just as bone marrow, the cord blood is also high in stem cells. These cells are very important because they are like blank cells that could turn into any cell that the body needs. Blood banking means the collection and preservation of the blood for possible future use.

Cord Blood Banking Pros and ConsRegarding the advantages and disadvantages of cord blood banking you should know that it makes it possible for the families to have more treatment options if the baby is affected by different kinds of conditions, such as diabetes, brain injury or cancer. If it isn’t banked, the blood is discarded.

Facts

One of the cord blood banking pros and cons is that there is no danger associated with the collection of blood.

It all comes down to the parents wanting to get it banked and having the possibility to pay for it. The blood is retrieved after the umbilical cord is cut and the entire procedure takes less than 5 minutes.

Function

Couples are often thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of cord blood banking and the good news is that if the blood is banked the doctors can retrieve it whenever it is needed. The blood is stored through cryogenic freezing and so it can be used at any time.

It is true regarding the cord blood banking pros and cons that bone marrow is also an available option. The downside in this case is that it is difficult to collect and most probably you know that there is need for a person who is a match and who could become a donor.

Considerations

In many cases couples are thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of cord blood banking if they have some family history of diabetes or cancer.

When looking for donors it may take more time to find a match if you belong to a given racial or ethnic group because the HLA types need to match.

When thinking about the cord blood banking pros and cons, one of the most important factors to consider is HLA (human leukocyte antigen) which is a protein that can be found in every cell of the body and that is directly linked to the immune system.

The types of the donor and of the receiver have to match.

It is a lot easier for the doctors to offer treatment to the baby if they have the blood, because, as one of the advantages and disadvantages of cord blood banking, there will be no question whether the HLA is a match or not. This way the transplants happen faster and a lot smoother.

Advantages

If you are interested in cord blood banking pros and cons you should know that there are almost no disadvantages and the cells are able to treat over 45 diseases. These include cancers, leukemia, metabolic disorders and blood disorders.

Expert opinion

According to official information regarding advantages and disadvantages of cord blood banking, the chances of using the blood at a later stage are one in 20,000. Usually the collected blood can be used in case of a child or adult of no more than 115 lbs.

Now you know all about the cord blood banking pros and cons and you may start thinking about the matter.

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