| This site is developed to help understand what
happens to umbilical cord blood during the storage process and
banking thereafter. |
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| What Are Cord Blood And Stem Cells? |
| Cord blood refers to the blood
that remains in the umbilical cord and in the placenta after it is
separated from the newborn following childbirth. Typically, the
umbilical cord and placenta (also known as the afterbirth) are discarded
after a child is born. The blood found in these organs is rich in a
special cell type called stem cells. Not only do stem cells have the
ability to generate all types of blood cells, but they can be used to
treat a variety of life-threatening diseases, including leukemia, other
cancers, blood and immune disorders and, more recently, sickle cell
anemia. |
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| Why Preserve Cord Blood? |
| Why do we buy life insurance? In
order to guard against the consequences of unforeseen events. Preserving
your baby's cord blood is better than a life insurance policy. It can
potentially preserve the health of the ones you cherish the most. Cord
Blood Banking is a lifetime gift that every parent hopes his or her
family will never need to use. But if you do, Cord Partners will always
be there, to deliver the life saving resource your family may need. |
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| Current Medical Applications |
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A parent may choose to save
their child's cord blood for use by their child or a sibling in the
event a life-threatening disease develops. In such a case the cord
blood stem cells are stored and cannot be accessed except by you or
your child at the age of consent.
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A parent may choose to donate
their child's cord blood to the community, similar in principle to a
routine blood donation. Under these circumstances, the cord blood
would be released for use by any qualified recipient, or perhaps for
scientific research.
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| Future Treatment Discoveries |
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Not only can stem cells be used
to treat a variety of blood diseases and cancers traditionally
treated with bone marrow transplantation, but also new research is
being conducted that shows the potential for stem cells to help
treat other diseases such as heart disease, stroke, Parkinson's, and
Alzheimer's.
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Cord blood stem cells are
especially suited for use in gene therapy. Researchers are
optimistic about similar treatments for AIDS, Rheumatoid Arthritis &
Diabetes. |
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"Stem cells from…umbilical cord blood are now being
used to treat approximately 75 diseases including acute and chronic
leukemia, aplastic anemia, Tay Sach's disease, sickle cell anemia, and
SCIDs. The stem cells found in these sources are called hematopoietic
progenitors and can regenerate the blood and immune system for patients
who undergo chemotherapy or radiation. The hematopoietic stem cell is
the best-studied and most frequently used stem cell (3), and has the
largest proven application to current clinical practice, as it has been
used in transplantation for over thirty years."
(Sandra Wolf, RN. Myfreece.com) |
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