The day a couple makes the pregnancy announcement, they are flooded with advice regarding the health & wellness of the baby. As the pregnancy progresses, the expecting parents get busy planning everything, from the baby essentials to important vaccinations & even certain insurance schemes. Along with all this, lately, Stem Cell Preservation or Cord Blood Banking has become the center of attention for expectant parents.

What is Cord Blood Banking?

Cord blood banking is the process of collection and preservation of life-saving stem cells (cord blood cells) from the umbilical cord. Throughout pregnancy, the umbilical cord acts as the baby's lifeline. It serves as a source of oxygen and nutrition. Earlier, the umbilical cord was discarded after delivery, but that's starting to change now. More parents are preserving their baby's cord blood for potential future use.

Stem cells are immature cells that can differentiate into different types of cells. The onset of stem cell therapy has revolutionized the medical and healthcare industry. Stem cells have proven to be effective in treating several diseases.

Although cord blood banking has obtained a lot of attention recently, most people are still skeptical about its usage. Hence, we are here to shed some light on this topic and bust some common myths associated with cord blood banking or stem cell preservation.

Myths & Facts About Stem Cell Preservation

With cord blood banking, you can secure not just your baby's future but also your extended family's health. Let’s take a look at the following myths and facts to make an informed decision:

Myth: Collection of cord blood may not be safe; it can have an impact on the delivery & also takes away the baby’s blood.

Fact: Cord blood is collected immediately after the delivery, from the umbilical cord, not from the baby; it is safe, painless & easy for both the mother & the baby.

Myth: Stem cells derived from cord blood may be useless for the family as they may not match with the other members of the family.

Fact: Stem cells from a baby’s cord blood have high chances of matchingwith all members of the family.

Myth: Cord blood hardly has any use in future probable medical treatments.

Fact: As of date, cord blood is used for the treatment ofover 80 diseases such as blood cancers, bone marrow disorders & autoimmune diseases and is approved by the FDA.

Myth: Parents with Thalassemia Major or Minor cannot store their baby’s cord blood stem cells.

Fact: If the baby is not at risk of being a Thalassemia Major, the baby’s cord blood can be collected and stored effectively.

Myth: Mothers who have Hepatitis B cannot preserve their baby’s cord blood.

Fact: Mothers affected by Hepatitis B can preserve their baby’s cord blood. However, it will be thoroughly assessed upon use.

We hope that with the above information, a lot of queries regarding cord blood banking are answered. Cord blood stem cells have proven to be life-saving, and further clinical trials are being carried out to determine their potential in the treatment of several deadly diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Diabetes Type-1.

Benefits of Cord Blood Banking

Here are some of the benefits of cord blood banking:

• More people can receive stem cells from cord blood than from bone marrow.
• The risk of a person’s body rejecting the stem cells from cord blood is lower than from bone marrow.
• Collecting cord blood is less complicated and pain-free.
• Cord blood stem cells may support the immune system during cancer treatments.
• The collection of cord blood poses no risk to the newborn or the person giving birth.
• Cord blood banks can freeze and store cord blood, which means that it is ready for use when needed.
• Cord blood stem cells can promote rapid and natural healing
• Cord blood stem cells can repair damaged organs and prevent the need for replacement surgeries.

Biocell: An Umbilical Cord Blood Bank for Stem Cell Preservation

Biocell® is one of India's Top Umbilical Cord Blood Banks. Since its launch in 2009, Biocell® has expanded in over 25 cities in India and preserved the cord blood of over 50,000 families. Many parents have found Biocell® reliable for its unfailing quality and round-the-clock services.

At Biocell, we ensure safe and risk-free collection of cord blood followed by thorough analysis and secure banking. So that your stem cells are available for you and your family in the future.

To know more, visit: https://biocell.in/