Now the miracle of medical science can save more lives. A new born baby?s cord blood stem cell can be used as a resource to treat life threatening diseases. Since the discovery of the medical potential of cord blood stem cells, the umbilical cord and the placenta which were once discarded as ?trash? of delivery room are now being valued as ?treasure?. Yes, versatile benefits of blood stem cells in babies? umbilical cords have shown new hope in the world of medicine. To treat life threatening diseases doctors have developed a new technique that involves matching genetic stem cells of patients with the stem cells found in umbilical cord of new born babies. Instead of disposing of these umbilical cords, the blood cells are now being extracted and preserved for future medical treatment. Researchers continue to develop more life saving procedures from these blood cells by transplanting them to treat several blood disorders and immune disorders.
What Medical Resources Are Latent In Your Baby?s Umbilical Cord
Cord blood stem cell implants have become an effective option to reduce or even eliminate symptoms of malignant and non-malignant diseases. Cord blood cell transplants have been performed successfully in treating diseases such as Fanconi?s anemia, non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma, sickle cell, leukemia, brain disorders like Alzheimer?s, Parkinson?s, heart attacks, strokes, spinal cord injuries, osteoporosis, diabetes etc. The umbilical cord blood stem cell is a type of cell which can transform into a number of cells. Hence, these types of cells are the building blocks of the human body, repairing what ever is deficient in the human body.
Embryonic Stem Cells Or Umbilical Stem Cells
Debates regarding embryonic stem cell research have also stirred up a rage among people. Many are considering it as unethical and unprincipled. Embryonic stem cells are those stem cells which are derived from the blastocyst fertilized in an ?in-vitro? fertilization clinic. These are not extracted from the womb of a pregnant woman. These cells are not considered effective in treatment all the time.
In spite of the moral issues, these cells when acquired from aborted fetuses or cell culture contain deficiencies like infection of blood and other tissue cells that develop ABO or HLA antigens. Development of HLA antigen accumulates greater risk of graft versus host diseases in patients on whom these are transplanted. In most cases, these embryos are donated by the parents for scientific research.
Bone Marrow Transplanting Vs Cord Blood Transplanting
The following advantages of cord blood transplants make cord blood stem cell treatment a better alternative to bone marrow transplants ?
A donor must be anesthetized in order to donate bone marrow stem cells, whereas cord blood cells are acquired from the clamped and cut off part of the umbilical cord of a newborn baby. Both mother and the child bear no risk of injury or infection, while a bone marrow donor is be exposed to the risk of infection. Stem cells retrieved from babies? umbilical cords are the most primitive cells, hence, no HLA antigens surface on the blood, unlike stem cells in bone marrow or peripheral blood. This is the reason cord blood stem cell treatments are exposed to lesser risk of graft versus host disease. In spite of these plus points, the expensive procedure of blood cord cell donation and its preservation is dissuading parents from donating. Most parents have now started to look at it as insurance for the family. Cord blood preservation gives a sense of security that if the need arises in the face of a medical calamity, the child and his siblings will not have to struggle for matching donors in future.