Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood banking is the process of preserving the cord blood of an infant after birth. Cord blood is the kind of blood that is found in the umbilical cord immediately after birth when the umbilical cord is cut. This blood is a rich source of stem cells, which have been found to have a very important medical value. Very many people have been treated for leukemia and other sicknesses of the immune system by cord blood stem cells. Thus the need to ensure that these cord blood is properly stored for future use.

There are several options as to how Cord Blood banking can be carried out. The first option is to bank the cord blood privately for the potential use by the baby or any family member. The other option involves private banking of the cord blood together with the placenta the placenta stem cells for the baby or any family member. This will probably make the volume of the stem cells banked to increase. The third option, involves donating the cord blood to a cord blood bank in the hospital so that it can be used for research or be transplanted to a suitable patient. The final option is to do away with the cord blood and presume it is just medical waste.