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Cord Blood banks collect and store stem cells after the birth of the children from the umbilical cord. The reason for this collection and storage is to use in transplants for patients that have different life-threatening diseases, such as heart or liver diseases, genetic disorders and blood disorders. The process of cord blood collection is explained here. The cord blood from the umbilical cord can not be collected unless the mother gives a written permission. After the mother has found a cord blood bank of her choice, she has to undergo extensive paperwork at the cord blood bank. However, just her consent is not enough. She has to undergo various tests to ensure that her blood is fit for preservation and whether there are any genetic abnormalities. The collection of this blood is done within 15 minutes after the birth and is not a painful procedure. It is a simple and safe procedure for the mother and the baby, and is done by the doctor or the nurse. There are two ways that cord blood collection can be done: syringe or bag method. If the syringe method is used, the blood is drawn from the umbilical cord after it has been cut. This method resembles having ones blood drawn. The bag method of cord blood collection yields as much as possible. The umbilical cord is raised, causing the this blood to flow into the bag. Some healthcare providers say that a closed-system bag is the most intelligent, providing less chances of bacterial contamination. The blood collection usually doesn't last more that 5 minutes. Make sure the syringe or bag has a label with the unique number of your baby. The collected blood should be processed by specialists in the laboratory within 48 hours and stored properly. Cord blood banking is an expensive affair. Not many parents are sure whether they want to go ahead with the preservation, thinking about the expenses. After all, if their child or its siblings require a transplant, the age old process of bone marrow is always available. Experts here claim that the stem cells in the cord blood are richer than the ones in the bone marrow. This argument can be challenged by the fact that bone marrow transplants do not face the 'quantity limitation' like the umbilical cord blood. At the end of the day, it depends on the parents of the baby whether they want to preserve the cord blood of the baby in a cord blood bank. Some parents, however, like to look at it as a health insurance for the family.
Article Source: http://www.just-article.com
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