Umbilical Storage May Save Your Child
Umbilical storage may save your child in the future from life-threatening diseases such as leukemia and other forms of cancer. Private cord blood banks claim that umbilical storage is a biological insurance and it is the proverbial “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” To store or not to store, that is the question. The marketing efforts of private umbilical cord blood banking apparently make parents guilty. They drive home the point that if the parents do not store their child's cord blood today, then they will never get the chance to save his life should he contract a life-threatening disease in the future. Indeed, umbilical cord blood banking it is something of an “insurance,” and definitely not a cheap one at that.
Under development
The field of cord blood collection and stem cell extraction from the umbilical cord has only been in existence for 15 years, and much of its effectiveness and efficiency is still being studied up to this day. In short, there is no hard evidence to support its capability to treat and cure various diseases. There are just a lot of possibilities. The reported diseases that it can cure range from all kinds of immune system and blood diseases that modern humans are prone to today due to the current environment and lifestyle. Much hope has been given to stem cell research and the discovery of the umbilical cord a rich source of it. New parents and soon-to-be-ones cling to the promise that umbilical storage may save the life of their child, and this is the reason why private cord blood banks are multiplying.
Storage and costs
Cord blood is stored cryogenically or in liquid nitrogen at -345 degrees Fahrenheit. I n these sub-Antartic conditions, umbilical storage can be prolonged from 10 to 20 years. Umbilical storage can cost anywhere from $1,050 to $2,000 as up-front fee and there are recurring charges of $75 to $100 a year for storage. One of the more successful treatments using cord blood is the bone marrow transplant that is utilized for treating leukemia and lymphoma. The other diseases that it can treat include anemia and blood cancer. In cases such as these, umbilical storage can possibly save your child 's life.
The difference between cord blood stem cell and embryonic stem cell
Stem cell research has been under a lot of heat lately because of the embryonic stem cell harvesting and transfusions to extract stem cell. The embryonic stem cell has been at the center of the cloning controversy, and the process of harvesting is also something that has been much debated about. This is because these stem cells are harvested from human embryos that are destroyed in the process. With umbilical storage , no harm is done to either the mother or the child. In fact, umbilical cords were traditionally cut and discarded after birth because they were thought to be of no use anymore. This is the reason why umbilical storage can be a very effective way to save the life of your child in the future.