What Makes Cord Blood so unique?
What is cord blood?
Cord blood is what remains in a baby’s umbilical after the baby is born and the cord has been cut–whether a baby is delivered through the birth canal or by Caesarian section.
The umbilical cord passes between the lining of the uterus (placenta) and the baby’s body when the baby is in the mother’s uterus. The placenta exists to protect and nourish the baby inside its mother.
Placental Barrier
There is no direct transmission of blood from mother to baby. To protect the baby, everything it receives is filtered through the placenta.
Blood carries nutrition through the umbilical cord. What is in this blood that makes it so unique?
“Master” Cells
This cord blood contains stem cells, undifferentiated cells that have not become specific body tissues yet, but that is what they are there to do.
Stem cells are the building blocks. They are the precursors to anything a person’s body requires to be built for its structure and function as a human being.
From stem cells comes blood, bone, muscle, organs, glands, systems–anything and everything in your body. Every cell arises from this master cell.
Stem Cell Research
Though most people have not heard much about this kind of science, it has been going on for quite some time–well over 40 years at least.
Despite widespread publicity a few years back which served to bring the idea of “stem cells” into the mainstream, there is still not much understanding about this simple concept within life science. Instead, there is some residue of a storm of controversy, which arose from ignorance of where stem cells come from.
The fact is, umbilical cord blood and tissue are called “afterbirth,” treated as medical waste and simply discarded.
Why bank Cord Blood?
Far from being “medical waste,” cord blood is actually immeasurably rich, and a rather pristine source of priceless biological material. In addition to providing material for ongoing groundbreaking medical research, cord blood can really come in handy for an individual and a family!
The miracle of life is evident in cord blood. It can be used to make repairs to the person from which it came, or to a member of his or her family.
Right now, cord blood is also being used in the quest for treatments for previously untreatable conditions such as juvenile diabetes, spinal cord and brain injury–and more.
Imagine the benefits for your family with this rich resource saved. A Cord blood bank is the most valuable account you can possess.
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