Over the years, we have seen new and exciting technology revolving around pregnancy, birth, and babies. One of the most amazing, and probably most controversial has to do with the storage of the blood from the baby’s umbilical cord. With years of study, it has been discovered that the blood from an umbilical cord can be a lifesaver in many instances. For example, if your child were ever to need a bone marrow transplant, finding a perfect match would be difficult and the procedure of harvesting bone marrow painful. In fact, only one out of four chances exists that a close match would even be located.
Because of these odds, researchers and scientists have spent in-depth time trying to find a viable solution. What happened was the identification that storing the blood from the umbilical cord offers the perfect match just in case your child would need help in the future. That means the one out of four chances has now been turned to a 100% match because it is the baby’s own blood. In most cases, the blood is simply tossed out with the umbilical cord but now a discovery has been made that is revolutionizing the way in which medical procedures are performed.
As a parent with a child needing a bone marrow transplant due to various forms of cancer, not finding a match is like death itself. Often times, parents will be given hope of a match only to find out the match is not close enough. This type of rollercoaster ride can be disheartening, causing families to fall apart. The blood coming from the baby’s umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells or building blocks to the body’s immune system and blood. In addition to reproducing into additional red blood cells, this blood also helps carry oxygen throughout the entire body, thus boosting platelets needed for blood clotting and fighting off infection.
Today, parents have the ability to request this blood be stored should it ever be needed or, it could be donated to a tissue bank for possible match to another child. The positive side of this is that this blood is spared, meaning nothing is taken from the baby, and instead, blood that would normally be thrown out becomes a historical milestone. In most cases, four to five ounces of blood can be salvaged from the umbilical cord, and then stored into a special facility where it is kept securely and safely until needed.