We are celebrating National Cord Blood Awareness Month by partnering with the world’s first cord blood bank, Cryo-Cell International, to share a little more about what it is and its benefits. Keep reading to see if it’s something you want to consider for your newest family member.
So let’s start with the basics—what is cord blood banking? It is the process of extracting the stem cells (the body’s master cells) from your baby’s umbilical cord blood and storing them for possible future medical use. They are currently used to treat almost eighty diseases including leukemia and anemia as well as metabolic disorders. In addition, clinical trials are underway exploring their use in the treatment of cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s, strokes, heart disease and diabetes. Because the stem cells inside cord blood are a relatively recent finding, they are still discovering their full potential.
If you do decide to bank your baby’s cord blood, you may not know where to start or what makes one bank different from another. Cryo-Cell International is a highly accredited private cord blood bank known for its premium processing method, which allows for the extraction of more stem cells (what you want) while capturing fewer red blood cells (what you don’t want). Its premium processing method also allows you to store your baby’s stem cells even if you choose to delay cord clamping, which isn’t always possible with other methods.
Another thing that sets Cryo-Cell apart is its five-chambered collection bag, which could allow doctors to use only a portion of the cord blood and to save the rest for any future treatments that may be necessary. While we, of course, hope your baby won’t need any treatments, if you go through the process of banking, it’s nice to know you can use it more than once. It’s also possible that the stem cells may be able to be used for the baby’s siblings or even you, the parents.
We know this is a lot of technical information to take in, and it can be scary to think about your not-even-born baby having a medical issue down the road. We suggest you visit Cryo-Cell’s website so you can make an informed decision about cord blood banking. You can even live chat with a cord blood educator to get your questions answered directly.
Cryo-Cell is offering our readers the chance to win cord blood banking for one year (a $1,600 value). From there, you’d be responsible for the annual storage fee ($150) if you choose to bank your baby’s stem cells after the first year. Head on over to Cryo-Cell’s contest page to enter for a chance to win!
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Comments
John from the UK
Hi Halley,
I loved reading this, I work in the health sector so I find it especially interesting.
Stem cells really are the future. If you can afford it, you should do it. Do you know what health insurance companies in america cover this? I’m UK based so its a little different for us over here.
Fantastic post and great website. Keep up the amazing work.
Thanks
John from the UK!