Why is it Good to Save it?
While scientists and moralists have argued over whether or not embryonic stem cell research is a good idea, many advances have been made in the field of cord blood stem cell research. The stem cells contained in a baby’s umbilical cord are just as viable as embryonic stem cells and their ability to help a patient fight and recover from serious illness has been proven.
In fact, while many have been arguing over embryonic cell research, many states have set up public cord blood stem cell donation centers. More and more parents are consenting to have the cord blood harvested after they have given birth.
Some parents choose to save their children’s cord blood and store it privately. Research has proven (several times over) that cord blood used within the same familial system has a higher success rate than cord blood stem cells that are given to a patient from a donor outside of the family tree. Some parents embrace the idea of their children’s umbilical cord blood being able to help save many lives and they choose to have their harvested umbilical cord blood stored in a public donation facility to help whoever might be in need.
Whether you choose to donate your cord blood stem cells to a public donation service or to store your cord blood privately is up to you. One thing, however, cannot be denied. Cord blood can help save lives.
Patients who were once dependent upon bone marrow transplants are now routinely transfused with cord blood stem cell transplants instead. Why? The biggest reason is that a cord blood transplant is a minimally invasive procedure. Some clinics are even able to do the transplant as an outpatient procedure. Bone marrow transplants, on the other hand, are invasive, painful and are done as in patient procedures and have a lengthy recovery time. According to the website for the National Cord Blood Program, in the United States fifty percent of the stem cell transplants in children are done using non related cord blood donations.
Doctors have also used cord blood stem cell treatments to help patients suffering from a variety of cancers (lymphoma and leukemia are the highest percentage helped with cord blood), spinal cord injuries and sickle cell anemia. Scientists are currently conducting research to find out whether or not using cord blood stem cells can help grow the rate of other stem cell reproductions.
The research is sound and more studies are being conducted every day. These are projects and studies that tout the benefits of stem cell treatments and, with every passing day, umbilical cord blood cell harvesting is becoming more popular. Both public and private cord blood donations and storage have increased over the last five to ten years.
