Cord Donation: When a Life is on the Line

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Pharmeceutical-Medical )



WHAT WAS ONCE CONSIDERED WASTE…

Cord blood has been the darling of the scientific world since it has been found out that cord blood is rich in blood-forming stem cells. An injection of these blood-forming cells can treat a number of life-threatening illnesses that take the lives of thousands of people.

The great thing about cord blood is that it was once considered medical waste. Therefore, harvesting it would not cause any discomfort or harm to a newborn baby from where the cord blood comes from.

However, even if cord blood is normally just discarded, you cannot just use it as you would want. You have to have the consent of the mother for cord donation to take place and harvest the cord blood to possibly save a life. Ultimately, it is the mother that makes the decision whether to do cord blood donation or cord blood storage.

The choice to make a cord donation must take place some weeks before the actual birth. If you are the mother, you have to search for cord blood banks nearby so they can facilitate the cord process for you.

MAKE SURE TO DO IT RIGHT

Because cord donation is still relatively new, not all hospitals are capable of properly collecting and storing cord blood. Cord blood is viable only for a couple of hours after birth, so it is necessary that you let the cord blood banks know of your intention so they can prepare for the harvest beforehand and be ready for it at the moment you give birth.

Umbilical cord blood banking is of two types - cord blood donation and cord blood storage. Cord blood storage is the collecting and indefinite storing of your baby’s cord blood for the possibility that your family may have some future need for it.

Cord donation meanwhile does the same thing but for an entirely different purpose. The cord blood is saved because it is meant to be used by someone who needs it urgently. When you make a cord donation, a system is automatically set in motion to immediately find a suitable match and perform the life-saving cord blood transfusion.


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