What is umbilical cord blood
Cord blood refers to the blood that remains in the umbilical cord when a baby is born. It contains hematopoietic stem cells that can differentiate into various cell types and has important medical value. Cord blood is collected within the first few minutes of a baby\’s life and can be stored for up to decades under the right circumstances.
The role of umbilical cord blood
The main role of umbilical cord blood is in various stem cell transplants, which can treat many diseases caused by blood or immune system disorders. For example, a variety of diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, and bone marrow disorders, can be treated with stem cell transplants. In addition, cord blood can be used in a variety of research areas, including stem cell therapy and gene therapy.
How to preserve umbilical cord blood
The collection and storage of umbilical cord blood need to be carried out under the guidance of a doctor. Within minutes after the baby is born, the doctor will use a disposable cord blood collection bag to collect the umbilical cord blood. The collected cord blood will be sent to a cord blood storage bank for storage. Currently, there are two ways to store umbilical cord blood, one is to directly collect and store umbilical cord blood, and the other is to store umbilical cord tissue. These storage banks typically provide long-term storage that families can access when needed.
The necessity of umbilical cord blood
For most newborns, collection and storage of cord blood is not necessary. However, for some families, cord blood preservation is very necessary. If someone in the family has a genetic disorder, or has a history of it, banking cord blood could offer them the possibility of treatment. In addition, some families believe that by storing cord blood, they can protect their children\’s health in the future.
Summary
In summary, with the continuous development of stem cell therapy and gene therapy, the collection and preservation of umbilical cord blood has become increasingly important. While banking cord blood is not necessary, it may provide families with an effective and ideal form of treatment if needed. Therefore, this is something families should consider carefully.
